A Silly Love Story
by L.Medora
Summary: Slight AU, Arthur saves Merlin from bad boy, now he's forever in his debt. Feel good fluff of a love story, Arthur/Merlin. Rated M from chapter 7. Don't like, read anyway just because flames don't bother me, I'm fire proof!
1. Chapter 1

Springtime was upon Camelot and happy people filled the streets from the castle citadel to the fields where the great city faded away. For Arthur Pendragon, it was absolute heaven except for one thing: Morgana insisted that he have a constant presence among the people to promote his reputation. That meant every day at high noon, she kicked him out of his bedchambers and ordered him to stroll the town and be social. At least as long as his patience held out.

Arthur honestly tried not to look bored as he walked along the streets. People bowed and curtseyed then asked how life was going. But the only thing on his mind was how much more he would enjoy training with the knights. After a while, desperate for a distraction, he stopped in front of the blacksmith's shop to admire the works on display. Nearby was a flower shop that was all but abandoned since the owner didn't exactly have a green thumb. While Arthur tested out his abilities with a dagger, he noticed somebody walk up to the stand.

He was a scrawny looking thing, pale with jet black hair and blue eyes. He was obviously underfed by the way his knuckles and bones showed on his hand as he reached out at a flower, and many cuts and bruises peppered his skin. Arthur was so caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the mystery boy that he lost his grip on the dagger and it dropped heavily onto his foot, thankfully hilt first. He hissed and hopped on the other foot for a moment, quickly ducking behind a nearby pillar when the boy turned to see the source of the funny noise.

"Can I help you?" asked the shop girl who had been sweeping up stray leaves.

"Yes, how much is this?" the boy asked, holding up a wilted and pathetic excuse for a daisy.

"You do know that's garbage, don't you?" she laughed, stopping her broom. "I had to clip that ugly thin along with the rest of its family. You want to keep it, go right ahead."

The boy smiled as though he had won some grand prize and walked off, twirling the little flower in his fingers. Watching closely, Arthur noticed that the flower had suddenly blossomed to full health in a beautiful defiance of nature. Arthur looked all around at the crowded market place, amazed that he was the only one who noticed. In any other situation, he would have run after the boy and alerted the guards that there was a magician in Camelot, but something about him was intriguing and he began to follow instead. He continued for a while, keeping track of every twist and turn until they finally reached one of the garden house courtyards in the outlying reaches of the city. Arthur ran into the small maze-like area, searching the trees with his eyes for wherever the boy might have gone.

"Why are you following me?"

Arthur whirled around to find the mystery boy standing behind him, leaning against a tree, twirling the flower, perfectly relaxed looking.

"I—I wasn't following," Arthur stuttered, caught off guard by the fact that for the first time, he'd been discovered stalking.

"You've been right behind me for at least twenty minutes," the boy pointed out with a knowing smile. "That's following."

"You knew because you're using magic, isn't that right?" Arthur retorted. "I saw what you did back there. Don't you know that's dangerous around here?"

"Yeah, I've heard the horror stories," he said, smile fading while retaining an odd quirk. "Here all magic is punishable by death."

"Yes," Arthur confirmed, taken aback by the boy's lack of care for the possibility of being turned in. "Why would you risk doing magic out in public like that?"

"I guess when you've got nothing to lose, all the smallest things are worth it," he shrugged, holding up the flower.

"It's really quite amazing," Arthur admitted before he could stop himself.

"Then it's yours," the boy said, offering it to him.

"I couldn't," Arthur protested. "I would only kill it. Flowers hate me."

"I guess something could be done about that." The boy closed his eyes and murmured a few words in a language Arthur didn't understand. A moment later, the flower had turned into a colorful glass imitation of itself. The boy took Arthur's hand and placed the flower in his palm. Normally people avoided such things at all cost, him being royalty and all. It was amusing to the prince at how the boy acted without knowing his title.

"Why aren't you worried that I'll tell someone?" Arthur asked, having already decided that he would do no such thing.

"I guess I believe in trusting people," he said, smiling sadly as though the achievement hadn't come without hardship. "I think I can trust you. You know I would never harm anyone."

"There's no way I could know that for sure; you might actually be an elephant in disguise for all I know," Arthur pointed out in a joking manner, hoping to cheer the boy up a little. It worked and the smile broadened. But in an instant it was gone and replaced by an expression of pain and anguish. The boy's hands quickly dropped to his left ankle and lifted up the hem of his pants to reveal a silver chain wrapped tightly all the way around. The surrounding skin was an angry red as though it had been burned.

"What is that?" Arthur demanded, frowning in distaste.

"Long story," the boy laughed nervously. "I'm terribly sorry, but I've got to leave."

"Why, what's happened?" Arthur asked, always hating unanswered questions.

"I _really_ can't explain," the boy said, quickly backing up toward the exit. "It was wonderful talking to you."

"Don't I even get a name if nothing else?" Arthur said, feeling absolutely frustrated with the strange creature who stopped momentarily to grin warmly.

"Merlin. My name is Merlin."

Before Arthur could reply, the boy had disappeared into thin air. He sighed in disappointment, knowing that there was no way he could possibly know where he had gone. Walking toward the exit, he held out the flower and smiled to himself.

"Merlin…"

The invisibility spell began to wear off as Merlin reached the shadier side of Camelot's city and he decided to pull it off altogether to avoid being discovered using magic. As he rounded a few more corners, the pain on his ankle began to fade, telling him he was going the right way. Within a matter of minutes, he had reached the cheap tavern where somebody was waiting for him.

Master Gordon was the slave driver who owned Merlin, along with many other innocent people. He was a collector of dark magic and used it to bind his merchandise to him. Because of the chain on Merlin's ankle, most of his magic was subdued. If he or the other slaves considered mutiny against their master they would be shot up with such intense pain it could potentially kill them. Because of Gordon's burly, evil appearance, nobody questioned his business or suspected foul play. Merlin was trapped.

"Where have you been?" Gordon roared as Merlin appeared. "I called you ten minutes ago!"

"I'm sorry, sir, it won't happen again," Merlin mumbled under his breath, keeping his head bowed low.

"At least you got one thing right, you idiot," Gordon growled before delivering a backhanded smack to Merlin's cheek. The witnesses on the street were only day drunkards and bums, so they just laughed maliciously along with Gordon. "Load em' crates onto the cart now, would you, worthless? Don't you and the other bastards get any ideas about stealing from me because I'll cut your throats before you can swallow that stuff. Now get to work!"

Merlin spat the blood out of his mouth and bit back the curse on his tongue. Because of the ankle chain, any magic he used against Gordon would only backfire in excess. Taking deep breaths, he went to the stack of crates where the other two slaves his age were already hard at work.

"Did it hurt?" asked one of the boys as he and Merlin each picked up a crate and walked it over to the cart which was covered by a large canvas blanket to conceal the cage underneath.

"Only as much as it always does," Merlin sighed. He frowned at the large cage, seeing a problem. The bottom layer was already covered with crates and a few of the slaves were sitting uncomfortably on top. "Mary, is it alright if I put this where you're sitting?"

The tattered and broken down girl looked up at him wearily and forced a small smile before scooting out of the way enough for Merlin to fit the crate in its spot.

"It's inhumane of him to do this to us," the boy muttered beside Merlin. "Our next stop is over a hundred miles away and he expects us to ride in this?"

"I'll see if there's any way I can rearrange it," Merlin offered, hopping into the cart.

"You're a godsend, Merlin," the boy said with and admiring smile.

"Shut up, Percy," Merlin laughed bashfully.

"Will you two dogs quit flirting and get to work?" Gordon shouted. "Just you wait…three days and I won't have to lay eyes on you rats ever again!"

Merlin gulped and looked away from Gordon. When they were beyond the borders of Camelot, he and all the other slaves would be sold. The one thing about that which scared him the most wasn't the possibility of being sold to a nasty owner who would work him to death, but being separated from Percy, his only friend in the world. All the other slaves were kind to Merlin since he'd made it his ambition to keep their spirits bright through little magic tricks and jokes, but Percy was especially kind. Come five days, Merlin's world would fall apart. That thought terrified him more than anything.

"Don't let him get to you, Merlin," said Mary. She had seen a distant look cross his face as his fears took over during those moments.

"Believe me, he'll be the last person to get into my head," Merlin assured her with a comforting smile.

"Mommy, I'm hungry," said a little girl, walking up to Mary. She was at least five years old with long curly brown hair and bright green eyes, in one arm she carried a ragged doll which showed many years of love.

"Why don't you stay here with Merlin and I'll see what I can do," Mary said, putting on her strong face. She made her way toward the small cage door and paused to say quietly to Merlin, "I'll head to the nicer area. Maybe someone will take pity on me."

"Good luck," Merlin replied, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

She left and her daughter went to sit on one of the crates, swinging her legs back and forth as she brushed the doll's hair out of its face. Merlin smiled sadly, feeling his stomach sink at the thought that she might be separated from her mother soon. Maybe it would be worth losing his left foot to work up the magic to free those two.

Arthur couldn't concentrate on his training the rest of the day. His mind kept dwelling on the mysterious Merlin and all the questions he wished to ask. All the other knights completely slaughtered him during training, and they were trying to go easy as to not injure the future king. His dignity took many blows that afternoon, sadly not all of them occurring on the training field. He tripped and stumbled many times and lost his concentration during a conversation with Uther. The only time he was able to take his mind off his encounter with Merlin was when he was assigned to go with the guards to make an arrest.

It was dark out as they headed to the far side of the city and the streets were almost completely empty. It wasn't difficult to find the man they were looking for—he'd stolen from the palace and was drinking away his newfound wealth at a tavern. He was arrested and taken away by the guards, but Arthur didn't follow them back home. A strange feeling in his gut told him that it was in his best interests to stay. He didn't have to go far to find something to catch his eye. Near the tavern was a lot where a lot of carriages and carts were kept. One of the nearest ones was tall and large, eerie seeming in the moonlight. It was covered by a large canvas blanket which concealed everything but the driver's seat. From it, Arthur could hear crying.

He slowly walked forward, curious as to what he would find and cautious of an ambush, just in case. Very carefully, he lifted the corner flap of the canvas and saw iron bars underneath, protecting pitch black darkness. A moment later a hand appeared, pale white and ghostly, reaching out slowly through the bars for Arthur. He recognized that hand. With a mighty burst of strength, he tore the canvas away to reveal the large cage packed tightly with people and crates. The people were all equally dirty, wearing tattered clothes and sporting many cuts and bruises. There were men women, and even a little girl whose face was streaked with tears. But the one who stood out above all the rest was Merlin's kneeling at the front of the cage beside Arthur. A new cut on his lip showed how he had been treated since their meeting that afternoon.

"Merlin, what's going on?" Arthur demanded. He reached up to the padlock on the cage door and began trying to open it.

"You should leave, it's dangerous around here!" Merlin warned, nervously looking toward the tavern. "If he comes back he'll want to catch you."

"Who?" Arthur asked, yanking on the lock with frustration.

"His name is—" He was cut off by the sudden reappearance of that pained look of his. He reached down to the left hem of his trousers and lifted it up to reveal that the chain on his ankle was burning red.

"What is _that_?" Arthur whispered, horrified. Merlin was about to answer, but the chain glowed brighter and he whimpered painfully.

"Would you stop asking questions, can't you see it's hurting him?" A befreckled auburn haired boy wormed his way through the others until he reached the front and could successfully glare at Arthur.

"Percy, he's trying to help," Merlin said, gasping as his pain subsided. Then he looked at Arthur, eyes pleading. "Leave while you still can. You might not have another chance."

"I can't leave you here like this," Arthur argued. "Just tell me what's happening and I can help you!"

"Don't you get it?" Percy said spitefully. "There's magic at work here. We try to escape, we pay the consequences. We tell you anything, we pay for it."

"There has to be a way!" Arthur said, slamming the lock as he realized that it was no use trying to open it.

"Key," Merlin said, a look of realization crossing his face. He looked down frantically as though trying to work out a riddle. "Um…okay, silver chains are like locks. What are the keys?"

"I don't know, something that can break it apart?" Arthur said, catching on. "Like a knife?"

"But these are magic," Merlin pointed out, watching Arthur expectantly. "That goes to show…?"

"Mmmmagic knife?" Arthur said slowly.

"Yes!" Merlin congratulated. "I'm not going against the rules if it's just something of yours."

Arthur quickly reached for the dagger on his belt and passed it to Merlin through the bars. Merlin held it up, concentrating with his eyes wide open. He chanted that foreign language from before rapidly until Arthur didn't even bother to keep track. All that mattered was that the dagger began to glow a brilliant blue color, practically radiating its new power. Merlin finished and handed it back to Arthur since he wouldn't be able to cut the chains himself. He reached down to his ankle once more and waved his hand over it. The silver light began to spread and spider its way through the cage, revealing that it was actually connected to each of the slaves.

"How were you able to move through the marketplace if it's like that?" Arthur asked, pointing at the mess of chains while Merlin located the central strand.

"Magic," Merlin shrugged with an apologetic smile. He held up the chain piece he was looking for and brought it close up to the bars to Arthur could reach it. Arthur was about to go ahead and free them all, but hesitated as a thought occurred to him.

"One condition," he said, feeling his heart begin to race with the brilliance of his idea. He looked up at Merlin who almost looked as though hope had been stolen from him. "I can free you all and get the rest of them to safety. They'll all be returned to their lives with enough money to start over…on the promise that you stay."

"…What?" Merlin whispered, dumbfounded. Percy scoffed and slammed the side of the cage.

"From the hands of one master to the next, what a life," he muttered, shooting daggers with his eyes at Arthur. "Don't do it Merlin. We'll survive without his assistance."

"No we won't," Merlin said, his voice unsteady. "Let's face it…in three days we're all going to be sold to the people who happen to have the money unless I say yes. Do you really want to be working for another master who could possibly be worse? What if Mary gets separated from her daughter? I will _not_ have that on my conscience."

"What are you going to do with him?" Percy demanded of Arthur. "I think he at least has the right to know what he's getting himself into."

"First of all, you'll help me catch whoever has done this to you," Arthur said, not looking away from Merlin who couldn't seem to make eye contact. "Then you'll come to live with me. I need someone I can trust to work by my side and just…be there for me. Merlin, I would never hurt you like the man who's done this. All I ask is that you stay with me."

Merlin stayed silent for a moment which seemed to dwell on forever. When it was over, he looked up at Arthur with determined eyes and nodded.

"Yes. I'll stay with you. Just free these people."

A relieved smile spread across Arthur's face as he wasted no time slicing through the chain with the magic dagger. The chains around the other slaves' ankles clunked to the floor heavily as though to say it had given up its life of crime. As the glow on the dagger began to fade, Arthur quickly stabbed the padlock which burst open. He removed it and pulled out the door, helping Merlin get to his feet outside. All the other slaves quickly did the same and followed while Arthur led the way. They didn't have far to go before he located a few of the guards on patrol.

"Cormick, Stanley, I need you to take these people to the castle and bring them to Mr. Wallace," Arthur ordered, indicating the small crowd behind him. "Marshall, you come with me."

The two groups separated for their individual tasks in opposite directions. Merlin hesitated before following Arthur, stealing one last glance at Percy who looked severely disappointed at him. The two of them waved once and parted for the last time. Merlin caught up to Arthur who was leading the guard Marshall back to the tavern.

"Why do they follow your orders?" Merlin asked quietly.

"I'll explain later," Arthur assured him. "One thing at a time for now."

They made it back to the tavern where there was the sound of loud, joyous voices and the putrid smell of alcohol. The three of them walked inside quietly, unnoticed since there was such a large crowd. Merlin searched all over until he finally spotted Gordon.

"Over there," he said, pointing him out. "The big one at the bar with the rings. That's Gordon."

Arthur nodded to the guard and they began to weave their way through the crowd up to the bar, bringing with them an awe-inspired hush and many stares.

"Mr. Gordon," Arthur said, loud enough to catch the man's attention. Gordon turned to face him with a drunken smile. "You are under arrest for breaking Camelot's code against slavery and for your unlawful treatment of innocents."

"Yeah? Says who?" Gordon laughed.

"Prince Arthur Pendragon," Arthur said slowly, letting it sink in.

Gordon frowned, thoroughly confused, until he noticed Merlin. He sobered up quickly with a powerful rage taking the place of the alcohol. In an instant he had tackled to boy to the ground and began punching. It was Arthur who pulled them apart, throwing Gordon to the guard and a pair of waiting handcuffs. Then he knelt down to make sure Merlin was alright and helped him up. Merlin shied away from him, still stunned from the punches and the new knowledge that he had been rescued by the prince himself.

"Let me see," Arthur ordered, trying to get a look at a bleeding cut on Merlin's cheek. Merlin held still while Arthur carefully held his face, inspecting the wound. "We could get that cleaned up in no time. It could have been much worse. Come with me."

Merlin nodded and they both left the tavern.

Within a few minutes they had reached the castle. Merlin was amazed by it since he'd never been there before, and the thought only barely crossed his mind that it would be his new home. Arthur led him to the physician's quarters and knocked on the door. A minute later, an old man with white hair and a grumpy look like he'd been sleeping opened the door.

"Gaius, I was wondering if I could bother you for some assistance," Arthur said politely.

"Since I've already been bothered, the assistance is all yours, sire," Gaius replied tiredly.

"My friend here needs to be patched up," Arthur said, indicating Merlin. "There was a scrape during an arrest tonight and he got caught up. Also, if it's not too much trouble, I would be grateful for you to provide him a bed for the night."

"Of course, he can stay in my guest bed," Gaius shrugged. "I'll go get my supplies."

Gaius disappeared back into his room, leaving Merlin and Arthur alone in the hallway.

"He will take care of you, I trust him," Arthur said, offering a smile. "You get some rest and I'll find you in the morning."

"Yes, sir," Merlin said quietly.

"Don't call me that," Arthur said distastefully. "You can call me Arthur and I'll call you Merlin."

Merlin nodded, not saying another word.

"What's wrong?" Arthur asked. "You're not homesick for that old cage, are you?"

"No…" Merlin mumbled. "I just…it's all a lot to take in. And I do miss the friends I'll probably never see again."

"Never is an awfully misunderstood word," Arthur pointed out. "You don't worry about that for now. Just get cleaned up and rested for now. And don't…go anywhere."

Merlin needed no hint as to what he meant and was almost offended to be accused of going back on his word.

"I'm not running," he said defensively.

Arthur was worried he was lying, not knowing him well enough to tell the difference. This strange creature had tortured him all the day while hardly lifting a finger and Arthur knew he was hooked. There was no point in fighting it. When he'd said he wanted to keep Merlin, he meant it and the thought of him running away was almost devastating after he'd just won him. So without a moment's hesitation, Arthur reached up with both hands to grasp Merlin's face, holding the boy still while he leaned forward and kissed him, emitting more electricity than a thunderstorm. When he pulled away, Merlin gulped but defiantly held still.

"I'm not running," he whispered.

"Good," Arthur replied. He turned and walked away, heading toward his chambers before he had a chance to do something else completely stupid. Merlin took a few deep breaths and went into the physician's room as Gaius called out to him.


	2. Chapter 2

Merlin hardly slept that first night, his mind running over all the events which had happened in a single hour. In the morning, with the bright sunlight streaming through the window, Merlin held perfectly still and wide awake. The memory of that strange kiss dwelled in his mind, keeping him sated and calm so the thought of getting out of bed wasn't even conceivable. New fears had arisen along with many more questions, one of them being exactly what he'd gotten himself into. A part of him was too thankful about being rid of Gordon to care. Another part missed Percy and Mary and all the others and wanted to be back with them.

He was dragged out of his reverie by the sound of knocking at the door. He sat up as Gaius walked in, carrying a tray loaded with breakfast food.

"Good morning, Merlin," he said, setting the tray on the bed. He pulled up a chair and sat down, looking less grumpy with sleep. "How are we feeling today?"

"Much better, thank you," Merlin said, offering a smile. He looked down at the mini buffet of food, thinking he'd never seen so much in his life. "Is all this for me?"

"You're skinnier than a skeleton, of course it's for you," Gaius said, eyeing him strangely. "Malnutrition is a sneaky killer these days."

"I can't possibly eat all of it," Merlin reasoned. "I've gotten used to no more than a bit of bread and water every day."

"Then it would be quite responsible to pace your recovery," Gaius agreed. He plucked a slice of bread from the tray and began to eat it. "So, I had a talk with Prince Arthur not an hour ago. He seemed quite worried about you. We both came to the conclusion that you will be staying here with me from now on. He believes that being so near to my work might rub off on you which would be useful to him. Is that alright with you?"

"Yes, it sounds fine," Merlin nodded, picking out a piece of fruit. "I've always found your line of work quite fascinating."

"That's good news," Gaius said, looking pleased with himself. "It seems not many people are these days. They believe science is a thing of the past."

"I don't believe that for a second," Merlin assured him.

"Very good," Gaius said, standing up. "I think I'll pay a visit to the book keeper and add your name to the list of castle residents. Do you have a last name, Merlin?"

"Emrys," Merlin said, popping a few grapes into his mouth.

"Emrys…" Gaius repeated, realizing that he recognized the name. "Would that make you Hunith's boy?"

"You know my mother?" Merlin said, momentarily forgetting about the food.

"Yes, I know her quite well," Gaius said distantly. "She and I were very close once. When you went missing, I was one of the first people she turned to. Of course there was not much I could do, but I promised to try. She said if I found you, there were some things to know. Like the fact that you are quite gifted in magic."

"She must really trust you if she told you that," Merlin said cautiously. "What happens now?"

"Now I keep you safe," Gaius sighed. "I owe it to her to protect her only son. You eat. Arthur brought you some clothes; they're on the table in the kitchen. I'll be in the library."

"Oh, okay," Merlin said while Gaius left. It was a strange feeling to him, knowing that his life and his secret were in the hands of two strangers. It felt like his guts were sinking and his head was floating. On one hand, they could betray him if he ever made a single wrong move. On the other, he wasn't alone anymore. The burden he had been carrying for so long was being lifted off his shoulders and set on those of two people who were more than willing to help him out. It was scary and it took a lot of effort to remember what he'd told Arthur the day before about having nothing to lose.

Merlin got out of bed, taking the tray with him into the next room where he set it on the table. He then picked up the small pile of neatly folded clothes, finally realizing that he'd be able to stop wearing the rags which had been his only possessions for months. The clothes which had been left by Arthur were made from soft, firm fabric like he'd never felt before. There was one jacket which looked ready to survive anything, a few blue shirts, nicely kept trousers, and a single scarf in Camelot red. He brought them into his new room and got dressed, afterward commencing with a happy dance to enjoy the fact that he was no longer confined to a crowded space where such actions were impossible.

"Merlin, what are you doing?"

Merlin whirled around to face Arthur, leaning in the doorway, watching with amusement. He coughed and blushed, instantly holding still.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were standing there, sire," Merlin apologized.

"What have I said about calling me sire?" Arthur said, frowning. "None of the servants call me by anything but my name, so don't think it's a matter of special treatment. Formal titles are…awkward."

"Right," Merlin said, not communicating just how much he understood. "Speaking of awkward…I've been considering our last conversation."

"Ah," Arthur said, humbly looking away as though he was embarrassed. "Perhaps I should have been more truthful about our bargain and stated outright that what I seek is a companion. I won't be offended if you wish to…remain at a distance. I owe that to you now."

Merlin didn't exactly know what to say to that, mainly because he wasn't sure of how he felt. Arthur took the silence to mean he was right and decided that it was no use to try to convince Merlin otherwise.

"We should get going," he said while Merlin continued to stare without speaking his mind. "I'm to show you around the castle today. You ought to know your new home. Quite a few people get lost on their first day."

"Yes…that would be terrible," Merlin said distantly.

Arthur quickly turned and left the room and Merlin followed without hesitation. Arthur gave a tour all around the most important parts of the castle; kitchen, servant's quarters, armory, throne room, and dining hall. When it was getting late in the afternoon, he said there was only one more place to show Merlin. On the way, they were stopped by two girls who were also walking the halls. One was tall and regal with her fine gown and jewelry and long raven hair. The other was humble and shy with the clothes of a maid and the smile of an angel.

"Arthur, who's this?" asked the first, grinning madly like she knew some terrible secret.

"Morgana," Arthur said, looking like he'd been hoping he could avoid her. "This is Merlin, my new servant. Merlin, this is the king's ward, Morgana, and her maid Gwenevere."

"Hello," Merlin said, half waving and wondering if he should bow to them.

"How adorable!" Morgana cooed, clapping her hands together with glee. "Arthur, he's absolutely perfect! It's about time you found a…_servant._"

"Morgana," Arthur coughed with a dangerous look in his eye.

"Be that way then," she said, smile still wide on her face. "Come Gwen; let's leave these two alone. I'm sure we will have much gossip to discuss soon."

The two ladies briskly walked off in their own direction and Arthur dragged Merlin in theirs.

"Love her like a sister, but sometimes I want to gut her," Arthur muttered as they slowed down to a normal walking pace. "Forgive her if she seems a bit suspicious of you from now on. Reading people is one of her habits and she probably already knows you're hiding something. If she finds out you're a magician she only _might_ not turn you in. Still better not lead her on."

"You're serious about this then?" Merlin said, unable to hide the hint of astonishment in his voice. "You're really not going to turn me in to your own father?"

"I respect the king but his knowledge of the world is severely outdated," Arthur said, earning points of trust in Merlin's mind. "I've been rescued by magic enough times to know that it isn't evil. Now people, those are the ones to be wary of. It's a risk Merlin, so I understand your surprise, but I think you're worth it."

Merlin's eyes suddenly dropped to the floor, unable to look at the prince as the memory of the previous night and the fleeting kiss rushed through his mind. It helped to lie to himself about it not meaning anything and that he was just being tested for loyalty. In a way, he would have preferred that. Then the world would have made much more sense.

Arthur finally stopped walking in front of a set of double doors and pulled a key ring from his belt. He pulled one key off the ring and used its twin to unlock the doors. The other he handed to Merlin.

"You'll be needing this in the future," Arthur said before walking into the room behind the door. "This is my room where most of your daily duties take place."

"Um…daily duties?" Merlin said, looking around the majestic bed chamber.

"Laundry, Merlin," Arthur said, looking a bit frightened himself of what Merlin might have been thinking of. "Cleaning, sweeping, polishing, all that fun stuff. As long as everything looks nice, you've done well. Understood?"

"Perfectly," Merlin nodded, glad to have the awkward moment over with.

"Great, I guess the tour's over then," Arthur concluded. "It only took…all day. I guess I'll be hailed for dinner soon. Come, Merlin, the prince is starved!"

They both left Arthur's bed chamber and locked it up before beginning the journey to the dining hall. It had gotten extremely dark by then and all the torches in the palace were lit, casting a bright glow in the hall.

"Maybe I should just wait outside," Merlin suggested nervously as they walked. "He's going to be able to smell the magic on me, I know it."

"Would you relax?" Arthur chuckled, patting Merlin's shoulder. "My father isn't some rare breed of fat bloodhound. You'll be fine; just stand by Gwen and wait."

"What kind of job is that?" Merlin exclaimed, throwing his hands up. "Are you really that royal?"

"Yes, we are," Arthur said defensively, pouting at Merlin's judgment. "And it's not just watching, it's refilling our goblets and…salting our food when we ask. Alright, so we're a little spoiled. But we've devoted our lives to the safety and welfare of the people. Haven't we earned it?"

"I don't know," Merlin teased. "Am I expected to cut your meat for you as well?"

"Don't make me hit you!" Arthur joked back.

At that point, they had reached the dining hall where the doors were closed. Two guards stood posted at either end of the hall, blank expressions on their faces. Merlin silently thanked Arthur for not making him one of those.

"Just remember to be polite and act intimidated, he loves that," Arthur advised, looking as nervous as Merlin felt. But after a moment, every trace of emotion was erased except for a pleasant smile which he worse as he pushed the doors open.

The dining hall simply contained an extremely long table which was decorated nicely with candles and place settings, all in Camelot colors. The only ones being used were at the head of the table where Morgana and the king himself sat. Honestly, Merlin had expected somebody more evil looking. The man before him was worn out and tired in his nice clothes and tousled grey hair. The laugh lines on his cheeks complemented the look of a grandfather, not the tyrant who had killed thousands of Merlin's kind.

"Arthur, we were just about to summon you," Uther said, a vague smile crossing his face. "Come sit."

Arthur began walking forward and Merlin followed. He pulled out the prince's chair and set a napkin on his lap, just as Arthur taught him to in their short time. He poured some wine in the gold and ruby encrusted goblet, then went to stand by Gwen off to the side. The king began a conversation loudly enough that Gwen could whisper without being overheard.

"How has Arthur been treating you?" she asked curiously, keeping her eyes on the dinner.

"Just fine," Merlin assured her.

"And you're getting along well?"

"Yes," Merlin said, smiling to himself.

"So tell me your story," she said eagerly. "Mysterious boy shows up in the middle of the night looking all beaten the way you had…there's just got to be a story to that. The other servants can't stop gossiping about you. So, how did you end up here?"

"Arthur rescued me," Merlin said feeling very conscious of his words with the knowledge that they would be shared. "About two years ago I was kidnapped by a slaver while I was running errands for my mother. I was bought and sold to four other people after that, the last one a month ago. If Arthur hadn't shown up, I would be on my way to another right now."

"My god, you must have been terrified!" Gwen said, a hand rising to delicately cover her mouth. "Were they all very horrible?"

"Not all," Merlin said thoughtfully. "One man gave me my own bed and just made me work around his house. But he would get drunk sometimes and beat me, so I don't miss it. I was with a family once who was decent, though. They had a four year old daughter who would always follow me while I did my chores. She was very sweet."

"Sounds like you were luckier than most," Gwen said with a relieved smile.

"Not always," Merlin said quietly, a haunted look crossing his face. "Some places I didn't have a bed, if I was allowed to sleep at all. I passed out from exhaustion a few times and paid for it just as soon as I was declared living. For the longest time I was starving, without water, and almost completely alone. When Arthur rescued me…it was like a miracle."

"I know the feeling," said Gwen. "There is hardly a person in Camelot who hasn't been rescued by him one way or another."

"Do you know him very well?" Merlin asked.

"Oh, yes, everybody does," she said. At that point, Morgana had finished her wine and Gwen rushed to pour more for her. Merlin couldn't help noticing the smile on her face as she returned and wondered if he would ever get used to palace life as she had.

As soon as dinner was over, Arthur and Merlin walked back to the royal bedchamber. Arthur said he needed a bath, so Merlin set some water over the fire to heat up.

"So, what did you think of your first day?" Arthur asked as he removed his boots.

"Best place I've been to yet," Merlin said as he checked the water.

"Now, I know you might think that there's no difference between a servant and a slave, but—"

"You kidding?" Merlin laughed. "I would take this life over the old one any day. Sure, a few of the chores are the same, but the whole situation is much better. For one, I'm pretty sure you'd never try to kill me for leaving a smudge on the windows. I'm actually being _paid_ here; the other people seem nice, and best of all: free reign over the kitchen. I'm already loving this."

"This can't _really_ be your idea of paradise," Arthur said skeptically.

"All I'm saying is that you won't hear me complain anytime soon," Merlin revised.

"I'll give it a week," Arthur challenged and Merlin rolled his eyes. "That reminds me, next week is the Knight's Tournament, so you'll need to know your way around my armor by then."

"Alright," Merlin said, checking the water again. He heaved it off the fire and carefully poured it into the tub. "Bath is ready." Merlin quickly evaded his eyes while Arthur stripped his royal garments and walked over to the tub to test it for himself.

"Perfect," Arthur sighed as he got in. Merlin looked up and caught a glimpse of a perfectly toned, cream colored backside.

"I should…go do some chores," Merlin quickly mumbled, planning to make a hasty exit. Arthur, however, grabbed his hand to stop him.

"Sit with me, Merlin," Arthur said, not quite posing it as an order. Merlin unsurely lowered himself to the floor beside the tub and Arthur smirked. "No need to be so afraid. I wasn't planning on attacking you."

"Sorry, I know that," Merlin said, looking down at his hands. "It's just…you have to understand, I have more scars than just the ones on my body. I'm jumpy, nervous, and really paranoid because of what I've been through and that won't go away very easily. The memories are just too strong."

"Do you want to tell me which one is bothering you now?" Arthur asked gently. Merlin looked up and smiled reassuringly.

"Not right now, if that's alright," Merlin said apologetically. "It's not pleasant and I just want to forget about it."

"Okay," Arthur said, not wanting to press his luck. "Can you hand me that bar of soap?"

Merlin grabbed the bar off the table and handed it to Arthur. He quickly washed himself all over while still talking to Merlin. He stopped when he reached his back.

"A little help?" he asked, flashing a cheeky grin.

Merlin gulped and accepted the soap bar offered to him. With shaky hands, he rubbed the soap all over the prince's shoulders and spine, then massaged the suds with his fingers. Arthur, facing away, kept his eyes shut tightly with the concentration of masking his erratic breathing. Everything had gone almost completely silent except for the splashes as Merlin rinsed the soap away, his hands lingering after it was gone.

"Clean," he announced in a barely audible whisper. He picked up the nearby towel and held it up against Arthur's skin.

"Thank you," Arthur said, quickly standing up with the towel wrapped around him. He went to get dressed while Merlin left to dump the bathwater. When he returned, Arthur was half dressed, only his night pants on.

"If that's all," Merlin said, Arthur nodding as soon as he spoke, "then there's something I'd like to discuss with you."

"Oh?" Arthur said, not conveying his interest.

"Yes," Merlin said, walking up to him with oddly steady feet. "I believe it's rather important…"

"Then stop stalling, Merlin, and—"

Arthur was cut off when Merlin suddenly grabbed his shoulders and brought him into a fast, heated kiss which lasted for only a moment, but long enough to alert every nerve in Arthur's body to _his_ presence.

"D-definitely important," Arthur said breathlessly. Merlin smiled and nodded, too stunned by his action to move. "But…I thought…"

Unable to finish the sentence, Merlin knew Arthur meant the conversation from that morning. "I meant you took me by surprise last night, not that I was against it. You saved my life, Arthur. I couldn't be more grateful and I would be proud to be your companion."

Arthur beamed joyously, his hands reaching up to fist in Merlin's hair and pull him down for another kiss. They held each other gently and close, lips creating bliss with every touch and every breath apart driving them mad. It was short lived as a knock sounded and the door began to open. Merlin quickly leaped away from the prince, a heavy blush on his neck. Gwen walked in, carrying a pile of neatly folded sheets.

"Evening, sire," she said, bowing with her head, "and Merlin."

Both boys remained completely silent while she went over to the cabinets and unloaded her arms.

"Silent as a graveyard in here," Gwen commented, smiling nervously. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," they both said before rambling on in unison.

"Alright," she said, looking between the two. "Have…fun, I guess…"

"We definitely will," Arthur assured her with an odd grin. Merlin felt the shake return to his legs along with a rush of blood to his groin. Gwen left the room and closed the door, leaving Arthur and Merlin in near complete silence.

"There you go looking scared again," Arthur chuckled. "I was _joking,_ Merlin. Gwen knows that, you ought to."

"I'm just not used to your humor," Merlin said, feeling a weight lift off his shoulder. "Anyway, I should really get going. I wouldn't want to test Gaius's patience since he went through the trouble to make me dinner."

"Yes, he does have quite the cold snap," Arthur agreed. "Well, if you must go…goodnight, then."

Merlin reached up and placed a feather light kiss on the prince's cheek. "Goodnight Arthur." Merlin quickly left the room and Arthur fell into bed with a giddy smile on his face.

A/N: Review, pwetty pwease? It's an addiction to see that little email sign pop up and say Hey! Look what I got! Plus the reviews so far have been super sweet ^.^


	3. Chapter 3

"Don't be such an infant," Arthur said, grinning down at the sight before him. They were in Gaius's room early in the morning. Merlin and the physician were sitting at the table while Arthur stood in the background. Merlin cringed as the needle touched his skin again. They'd been working all morning, but Gaius had only managed to complete the top of the Pendragon crest which was being tattooed onto Merlin's forearm.

"It's not too late to change my mind, is it?" Merlin asked, glaring at Gaius when the physician stabbed just a little too hard.

"I could rub it away with acid, if you prefer," Gaius offered, giving him a beady eye.

"Think of it this way," Arthur said, sitting down on the bench beside Merlin. "A slaver would have to be insane to take you again once they see that. Only our most valued friends and servants receive this honor, so everybody else knows that you would be missed. Go ahead and take that to mean that I'd come after you with all the knights of Camelot if you were taken."

Merlin knew he should have replied with some kind of thanks, but the words were stuck in his throat. Instead, he looked down at the table and blushed quietly. This failed to go unnoticed by Gaius who watched the two as they watched each other. Arthur's eyes suddenly swiveled down and he gasped.

"Watch the line!" he exclaimed and Gaius quickly held up the needle. He'd almost given the dragon an eye where the mouth belonged.

Merlin carefully leaned a little closer to Arthur and whispered, "Are you sure he's the most qualified for this?"

"On a good day he can paint a butterfly," Arthur chuckled, casting Gaius a nervous glance. He nodded and went back to work.

Gaius had treated the prince since birth, so he was well aware of his odd tendencies. Since the teenage years hit, Uther had been ordering the most provocative chambermaids to clean Arthur's room in hopes of desensitizing him. He'd said it was something about making sure his son never compromised his duties for a thing as silly as love, but there was apparently no need for it. Arthur never once gave the girls a second glance other than to make sure they weren't thieves. Since Gaius was placed in charge of watching the prince's progress, he reported to the king that all had gone well and he could stop sending the girls. Not once did he mention the number of times he'd caught Arthur's gaze lingering on the knights who he swore were his most trusted friends.

"Arthur, I've been wondering," Merlin said while Gaius worked. "What's to happen to Gordon?"

"Funny you should ask; his trial is this afternoon," Arthur said, a darkly pleased look crossing his face. "You've got no need to worry, Merlin. He can't haunt you any longer."

"It's just that it's been four days," Merlin shrugged. "With no word on what was happening…for all I knew, he could have escaped."

"From Camelot? Impossible!" Arthur said, beaming with pride. Merlin smirked, knowing full well that if such a thing was true, he would have never been born. Still, he didn't want to burst Arthur's bubble.

"This afternoon, you say? Gaius, take all the time you need," Merlin said, taking a deep breath as he looked down at the ink staining his skin.

"Merlin, do you honestly think you're worth my afternoon?" Gaius said, arching an eyebrow at him. "I have remedies to brew, patients to see! We're getting this _done_."

With that, the physician doubled his speed and Merlin howled in pain. Dip, stab, stab, stab, wipe away the ink, repeat. He finished within the hour. After spreading ointment over the design, he bandaged Merlin's arm and kicked him out with Arthur hot on his tail.

"Well, something's certainly gotten under his rather wrinkled skin," Arthur said, frowning at the closed door.

"That _really_ hurt," Merlin pouted, sorely rubbing his arm.

"I'm sure we'll be able to find something to distract you from the pain," Arthur said with a wink.

"If you mean the trial, I'd really rather not be in the same room as Gordon ever again," Merlin said quickly, halting their progress down the hallway.

"I was actually thinking something less public and more personal," Arthur said, frowning. "But why don't you want to see the trial? Aren't you in the least bit curious?"

"Yes, of course I am, but it's not worth seeing him again," Merlin said. He folded his arms around his torso, remembering how many times he'd been beaten there. "Maybe you could go and just tell me the outcome."

"Merlin…if you don't get some form of closure, the nightmares will never go away," Arthur said softly, placing a hand on Merlin's shoulder.

"H-how did you know about the nightmares?"

"You live with Gaius, we talk," Arthur shrugged. "So are you going to tell me what the nightmares are about or am I going to have to guess it out of you?"

"It's just what my usual living nightmares were," Merlin admitted, and he continued walking, needing an excuse to not look Arthur in the eye. "I'm always doing something wrong and he nearly kills me for it. Except in the dreams, I know he means to actually go through with it, but I always wake up just before he can. For some reason that just makes it even scarier."

"Which is why you _need_ this," Arthur persisted, easily keeping up. "You need to actually see for yourself that he can't hurt you, otherwise that part of your mind will never believe it! Please go. I want to know that you sleep well at night here. Go for me?"

Merlin rolled his eyes, unable to hide the smile which crept up on him. "Fine, but don't think it's all about you. That…closure thing sounds very legitimate."

Arthur didn't bother denying the butterflies in his stomach, but he had to suppress the giggle that bubbled up in his throat. It was difficult since the sensation was so new, but so was everything with Merlin. So he settled for making excited faces behind Merlin's back as they walked toward the throne room.

"Nervous?" Arthur asked as they approached the doors.

"…Very," Merlin answered with a gulp.

"Hey, relax," Arthur said, stopping them before they could walk into the view of everybody in the court of Camelot. "I'll be right beside you the whole time. In that room, you've got way more power than him."

Merlin nodded and attempted to smile, wanting to be strong for all Arthur's efforts. The other man saw as much and felt the overpowering desire to kiss him. But before he could, one of the knights came clanking down the hallway.

"Sire, the prisoner is on his way," he said, motioning over his shoulder. "Don't you have a cushioned seat of gold feathers waiting for you in there?"

"Yes, of course," Arthur laughed, rolling his eyes. "Merlin, meet Gwaine, my most trusted knight and best friend. Gwaine, this is the new servant I was telling you about during training yesterday."

"Ah, Merlin, a pleasure," Gwaine said, shaking Merlin's hand. "I hear he's making you sleep in the physician's quarters; does it smell very much like death?"

"I heard that…" Gaius muttered as he shoved past the group, a bag of small bottles clinking at his side.

"Ah, the bitter old man thing is just a façade," Gwaine laughed. "But seriously, you will know what it smells like unless I get you two inside within the next two minutes. Procedure, you understand."

"Yes, we do," Arthur assured him. "I trust you'll be tournament training later on?"

"Wouldn't miss it for anything but a kiss from a lady," he laughed with a wink to Merlin.

"As if," Arthur scoffed. "See you later, then."

"Aye, sir."

Arthur grabbed Merlin's arm and pulled him forward into the throne room. All sorts of people were already gathered, filling up all sides of the room while leaving the very center clear. Closest to the king's grand throne on its raised, square platform were the nicely dressed people. Beside Uther himself stood Morgana. She looked bored and tired as though she would rather be anywhere else, or at least sitting. Leaning against one of the pillars off to the side was Gwen. She remained her usual pleasant self, smiling widely and waving as she noticed the boys walk in. Arthur told Merlin to stand by her while he tried to remain as close as possible while at Morgana's side.

"Isn't this exciting?" Gwen whispered as Uther called Arthur over for a word.

"Some might see it that way," Merlin agreed, though the angry knots in his stomach said otherwise.

"I love trial days," Gwen continued. "There's always some kind of drama to entertain you, and we get them a few times a week. Though, for the lesser ones, Morgana doesn't want to be bothered, so I can't see them either. But just the other day we had a madman pass through and he was ranting all sorts of things! It was rather hilarious to watch."

"What was his crime?" Merlin asked.

"Public nudity, I think."

A group of guards began filing into the room, placing themselves in front of the viewers. Arthur quickly returned to his spot, a mere five feet away from Merlin since that was as close as he could get without falling off the platform which bore the throne. One of the guards came to stand beside the royal children and Merlin was forced to step even further away. He tried not to show how much that worried him. And then came the big moment.

Gordon walked in, led by two guards, bound by the chains around his wrists and ankles. He'd been given ragged prisoner's clothes since what he owned before was able to hide too many weapons. A thick beard was growing on his face and dark circles surrounded his eyes like bruises. He was forced to kneel a safe ten feet away from the throne while an announcer read out the charges.

Time suddenly slowed as Gordon lifted his head, eyes instantly finding Merlin. A look of pure hatred crossed his face as his eyes narrowed and lips curled in a silent growl. For just a second, he fought against the guards' grips on his shoulders, but they refused to budge. Merlin felt every fiber in his body freeze with terror, finding only enough strength to force his eyes to the floor.

"Gordon Ridgefield," Uther said, reading from a parchment in his hand. "The usual punishment for partaking in slavery in Camelot is five years of imprisonment and a heavy fine for each of your victims. Within the city walls, however, it's doubled. After your _ten year_ sentence is served, you will be banned from Camelot with no worldly possessions but the clothes on your back. Have you anything to say on this?"

"What can I say?" Gordon shrugged, looking up at the king in a distasteful way. "Lady justice weeps for this innocent man. You have no _real_ proof I did anything wrong."

"Several witnesses plus twelve traumatized victims," Uther said, nodding to a man nearby. He was a skinny, long nosed, dreary-expressioned man.

"I interviewed them myself, sire," the man said. "Mr. Gordon, you had them all pretty terrified. All they would say is that you held them captive against their wills. It's all that was needed, but it proves just how talented you are at your job. Personally, I believe the usual punishment isn't quite enough."

"Don't matter what you think anyhow," Gordon spat, a vicious smile creeping across his face. "I'm not planning a single night more in that cell. "How much you wanna bet that I'll be walking out of this very room with my pockets full of gold?"

"Enough," Uther said loudly, glaring down at the man. "Guards, take him away."

"Don't you even want to hear what I got?" Gordon shouted desperately as he was dragged to his feet. Uther held up his hand and the guards paused.

"You have one minute to amuse me," the king said, leaning back comfortably.

"I'm offering a trade," Gordon said. Merlin felt suddenly very sick with haunting suspicion. "You let me go free and I tell you which one of my slaves is magic."

The room suddenly filled with whispers, but Merlin couldn't decipher a single word. All her heard was the sharp intake of breath coming from Arthur. His eyes glanced up and saw the prince watching the scene before him with horror.

"Tempting," the king said, silencing everybody in the court. "You could hand over the individual, and as compensation, we would be willing to cut your time in half and release you with a generous reward."

"Good as it's going to get?" Gordon asked hopefully.

"The reward is a kindness, don't make me regret it," Uther said through clenched teeth.

Gordon grinned wickedly and nodded. "Merlin, here _now_."

Merlin didn't know why he did it. Maybe some part of his mind was so damaged from all that had happened that it just wasn't healed yet. But without his say so, his legs took three quick steps forward, allowing that familiar painful anticipation settle into his gut. The same feeling that was always present when he just knew he was going to be beaten. But amidst the whispers and exclamations, he heard one small gasp and barely audible _Merlin._ Arthur made him wake up and secured some part of him that Gordon just couldn't touch.

"Merlin, show this nice man one of your little tricks," Gordon said in a sickly sweet voice that sent shivers down his spine. Merlin's jaw dropped into a nervous quiver, but then Arthur saved him even further.

"Your majesty, Merlin has been a loyal friend since I rescued him from that monster," Arthur said, facing the king. "I haven't left his side and not once has he even hinted at having relation to magic."

"Arthur, as much as I trust your judgment, we have to know if there is any credibility to this man's story," Uther apologized while somehow retaining the upper hand, thus the bit of pride Arthur almost smudged by speaking out of turn. "Mr. Gordon, if you are in fact attempting to frame this innocent boy, two years will be added to your sentence."

"_Merlin_," Gordon growled. "You show them your tricks or I'll scar more than your skin!"

"You mean with your magic?" Merlin retorted before he could stop himself. He didn't mean to say anything, but once it was out, there was no putting it back in. "If anyone has been using magic around here, it's you. If it was the other way around, would I have ever let you get that chain around me?"

"What say you?" Uther asked Gordon, watching him suspiciously.

"I don't know what he's talking about," Gordon said through clenched teeth.

"I witnessed it myself, sire," Arthur said eagerly. "I had to cut through a magic chain in order to release the slaves. By magic, it caused them harm should anyone attempt to betray that man."

"You're certain it was magic?" Uther said, looking absolutely outraged.

"Yes, being used in the most vicious form," Arthur was sure to add. He turned toward Merlin and looked down at his ankle with a nod. Merlin understood and lifted the hem of his pants to reveal the scars.

"Thank you for your bravery…Merlin, was it?" Uther said with a victorious grin. "Guards, escort Mr. Gordon back to his cell. For the crime of using magic as well as partaking in slavery, he will be executed at dawn."

"NO! He's _lying!_" The guards dragged Gordon away, all while the man struggled, screamed, fought. The crowd in the room applauded and cheered while Uther stood up, waving and nodding, before walking out. Everybody else followed until the room was empty except for Merlin and Arthur. Merlin was just too shaken to move. Arthur wasn't going to leave him alone after what had just gone down.

"Merlin…" Arthur said softly, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. Merlin responded to the touch by wrapping both his arms around Arthur's waist and burying his face in his broad shoulder. Arthur held onto him tightly for a long time, neither of them saying a word. It was comfort enough just to be in each other's company.

"Thank you," Merlin murmured, his voice muffled slightly. He lifted his head and looked the prince in the eyes. "If you hadn't saved me…he would have sold me away by now, probably to someone just as terrible as him. They all would have."

Thoughts of Mary and her daughter flashed through Merlin's mind, then thoughts of Percy. It hurt to miss his friends so much, but he trusted that Arthur had gotten them to safety. Still, it didn't do much to ease the ache in his heart. What _did_ help was being held so closely to his hero, knowing that at least he was safe.

"It kills me, you know," Arthur said. One of his hands came up to cup Merlin's cheek and the boy began to blush. "Thinking of everything he did to you…everything that could have happened. I could kill him myself, it gets to me so much."

"I know it does," Merlin nodded, smiling for him. "I just hope we can forget about him after this and move on. He doesn't deserve to be a memory."

"Not when there are so many new ones to be made," Arthur said with a wink and a smile, all to make Merlin laugh.

"Thank you for this, really, but you need to get to training," Merlin said, disentangling himself from Arthur's arms. "If you're late because of me, the other knights will have my head."

"Ugh…you're right," Arthur admitted reluctantly. He placed a kiss on Merlin's forehead and hurried away. Merlin smiled to himself for just a moment longer before deciding that he needed to start his chores.

The rest of the day was spent in a focused blur for Merlin. The only thoughts on his mind were of getting his work done so that he wouldn't have to think of anything else. Thoughts of the trial and of Gordon only brought pain which led to him missing Percy more than ever. When he allowed himself to dwell on that, just for a moment, he decided that he would ask Arthur in a month or so to arrange a meeting. It was important to know that his friend was truly safe.

That night, he tucked Arthur into bed and went through his studies with Gaius during dinner, but there was no rest afterward. With nothing else to distract him, that morning's stress found him and there was no sleeping after that. Curled up in bed, he just longed to go back in time to when Arthur was holding him. Back to where everything was safe and warm and happy.

As the sky began to grow brighter, Merlin could hear the crowds beginning to gather for the execution. He numbly got dressed and ate breakfast with Gaius before going to retrieve Arthur. Once he was dressed in his royal execution day clothes, they both went outside for their balcony view of the courtyard. The king, Morgana, and Gwen were already there, watching.

"We haven't missed anything have we?" Arthur asked, eagerly looking down at the crowds. "I wouldn't be so late if somebody didn't need to be told what a cufflink is."

Uther turned slightly to eye Merlin suspiciously with an odd smirk on his lips.

"I've never had to wear one before," Merlin shrugged in explanation, eyes suddenly finding the ground.

"Don't worry, Merlin, neither have I," Morgana said kindly. "Honestly, I think it's just silly to have gold pieces hold together a cuff that your jacket is going to cover up anyway."

"Like you wearing giant gold earrings with your hair down?" Arthur retorted, and Morgana replied by sticking her tongue out at him.

"Hush, you two, it's starting," Uther said, straightening his posture.

A pair of guards marched Gordon through an aisle in the crowds while people booed and shouted at him angrily. He was tied up on the center pole amidst a large pile of arranged logs. Uther announced very loudly what Gordon's crime was and allowed for last words. Then a guard holding a flaming torch walked forward. It hit Merlin then that everything was about to end. All his time spent as a slave was like a lifetime, but it was over as soon as Gordon was dead. But it wouldn't be fast and painless as most deaths should be. Merlin knew all too well how long it could be drawn out.

"I can't watch this…." Merlin whispered, turning away. He retreated back into the castle, making it around one corner before Arthur caught up and stopped him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, nervously looking over his shoulder like he was worried about missing all the fun.

"Go back, I'm fine," Merlin muttered, not looking at Arthur directly.

"Don't you want to see it? Know for sure that he's gone?"

"Look, I get the closure thing, but I don't need this!" Merlin said, angrily trying to keep down the sick feeling in his stomach. "Arthur, I come from a small village. We don't execute people there, that's why we send them here. I just…can't!"

"Merlin, don't tell me you've never seen anyone die before," Arthur said, watching his servant in awe.

"Yes, I have," Merlin corrected him, eyes snapping shut. "I watched way too many slaves being beaten to death, wondering if I would be next, to possibly enjoy voluntarily witnessing this. Death _hurts_ me, Arthur. Knowing that it's near just feels wrong!"

"Okay, you don't have to then," Arthur said gently, his own heart bleeding with sadness for the boy.

A piercing screech suddenly echoed through the castle, accompanied by a loud cheer. Merlin suddenly began to shake as tears found his cheeks. Arthur hated seeing him that way, wanting no more that to make it stop. He reached up and covered both of Merlin's ears with his own palms, knowing that he would only be able to hear his own heartbeat. Deciding that he might as well make it as distracting as possible, he pulled Merlin forward until their lips collided and all thoughts of the outside world were blown away. Merlin's arms instantly wrapped around Arthur's waist as they both sank into the kiss. As the screams outside grew louder, Arthur's hands pressed harder and Merlin kissed more fiercely. Tongues battled, air was lost, and the heat rose. But neither of them was going to back down, even after the execution had been forgotten. Then it was just each other and the passion they were igniting.

A/N: Okay, I think I'm going to have to start weekly updates, because I'm out of chapters. The others had been previously written, so I could just post them whenever, but now I begin my tragic battle with the ever elusive Plot Bunny. Just so you know, he's attracted to reviews. They're like his catnip. Place a review in my possession, he shall come running, I am inspired, more chapters produced, thus the lovely cycle continues. :D


	4. Chapter 4

Merlin hated watching Arthur train. Every other moment seemed like a brush of death and he didn't understand why he seemed to find his own life flashing before his eyes. He wasn't the one being aggressively attacked by a knight. But whenever he expressed his worry to the prince, he just laughed and told him he'd been through worse since he was a child. Merlin couldn't see how that was possible as he watched training the day before the Knight's Tournament. They seemed double violent compared to normal, eager to be sure that they were ready.

"Careful, _sire_, or I might stand a decent chance at beating you tomorrow," Gwaine teased as he easily ducked one of Arthur's attacks.

"You always get taken out within the first few challenges," Arthur said, tossing his sword from hand to hand in order to work out a knot in his wrist. "Gwaine, you are nothing if not predictable. You have that grudge with the brute from Cenrdred's kingdom and he always takes you out. I, however, know of his weak spot, so I don't have that issue, therefore, I win!"

He lunged at Gwaine who met him head on, clashing a few good times before backing off when Arthur got too close.

"You getting tired, my friend?" Arthur taunted. "Maybe you ought to give up now."

"Arthur, Arthur, Arthur," Gwaine laughed, shaking his head. "Don't you remember the reason you prefer dueling with me? I don't hold back just because you're royalty!"

The two went at it again, fighting with so much effort that they could have broken their weapons in half. On the sidelines, Merlin cringed until his teeth hurt.

"Looks like somebody's going to need some close comforting tonight," Gwaine laughed, nodding his head toward the sideline. Arthur looked over and grinned, waving when Merlin finally opened his eyes again.

"It's not exactly like that," Arthur said, slowing down to basic moves so he could think more about the conversation.

"Wait just one second," Gwaine said, pausing to stare incredulously. "You save his life, let him live in a castle, give him anything he could possibly want, and he's not head over heels? Or rather, heels over head?"

"No, as a matter of fact," Arthur retorted, slashing at Gwaine who barely managed to block. "Not for a lack of wanting to, but you've seen the way he is. He's traumatized and I can't blame him, so I'm not demanding anything from him."

"Then you're definitely a better man than me," Gwaine laughed, shaking his head. He and Arthur continued with simple moves, walking in a neat circle. "I would have lost my patience and gone to the tavern by now."

"And there's the main difference between you and me," Arthur pointed out. "Pleasure is easy to find, sure, but it always ends too quickly and leaves you looking for something more. That would be you. As for me, I think it's worth it to wait for love since it can potentially last forever and never leave you lonely."

"Hold on just a minute," Gwaine said, throwing his sword to the ground. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared sternly at the prince. "Did you just try to tell me in secret that you're in love?"

"Maybe…" Arthur frowned and sheathed his sword before walking away. He knew Gwaine would get his answer anyway, but Arthur preferred to not make a scene right there on the field while so many people were coming in for the tournament. But before he could get very far, he was tackled to the ground. Gwaine wrestled him until Arthur was pinned to the grass with both his arms twisted behind his back. "Get off!"

"Tell me the truth!" Gwaine shouted back, twisting his arm up further until Arthur writhed in pain.

"Fine, I do!" Arthur wailed until Gwaine finally let up. "I h-have since I saw him in the market…"

"See? Was that so incredibly hard?" Gwaine said, victorious smirk on his face and he stood up and helped Arthur to his feet.

"_Immature_," Arthur said slowly, scowling at his friend. He began walking away again as he dusted the dirt off his chainmail.

"How are you so sure he hasn't just bewitched you or something?" Gwaine asked, hurrying to catch up.

"Because I've been under practically every love spell there is and this just doesn't feel like that," Arthur explained. "Thankfully we've had Gaius all these years, or I probably would have never met Merlin. Besides, he's too innocent to use magic against me like that. Just watch, you'll see that this is real."

"Alright, I'm going to trust you…for now," Gwaine said with a warning tone. "But if I find out he's misleading your poor delusional heart in any way, I'll drag him to a cold dark corner of the castle and kill him then dispose the body into the moat."

"Your friendship is always appreciated, no matter how demented," Arthur said, patting him on the back.

The two parted, Gwaine headed toward the castle, Arthur to Merlin.

"I don't suppose it would do any good of me to ask you to not compete tomorrow?" Merlin asked, handing Arthur a flask of water. "I don't think I can survive having a heart attack every time you have a close call."

"Sorry, Merlin, but have no worries," Arthur laughed, wrapping his arm around Merlin's shoulder. "I've been training for tournaments since I could hold a sword…as a child."

"You do realize that's incredibly messed up, right?"

"Yeah…daddy didn't love me enough and all the nannies in the world couldn't replace my mother," Arthur shrugged carelessly. "So I've got issues, but who hasn't? At least I take it out on good, honest sport."

"Violence is violence and just because your…sport has limitations, it doesn't make it positive," Merlin retorted. He took back Arthur's flask and they began to walk toward the castle. "Maybe I should just stick to my regular schedule and miss the tournament altogether."

"Don't you dare," Arthur said quickly. "You're going to be sitting right where I can see you, beside Gwen and Morgana. I like to be reminded of what I'm fighting for. You may be cringing and covering your eyes half the time, but you'll be there."

"Well, if it means that much to you…" Merlin said reluctantly.

"It does," Arthur assured him. "The Knight's Tournament is an age old tradition and as the king's son, it's an honor to participate. But having you there will make it worth it."

"Then I'll be there," Merlin said, smiling to express his flattery.

The tournament began early the next day. Arthur, being a higher fighting level, wouldn't have to go on until after noon, so Merlin was able to watch all the others and see what was in store for the prince. Honestly, he didn't like a single bit of it. There were people who fought ruthlessly, others who resorted to fist fighting, and more than enough people were carried off the field on stretchers to set Merlin's nerves on edge. He couldn't help imagining Arthur being every one of those people and it made him queasy, even when the damage was simply getting one's face rubbed in the dirt.

At noon precisely, it was Gwaine's turn. He was set to fight a real monster of a knight, but they seemed to recognize each other. As they met on the field and shook hands, words were exchanged along with familiar looks of challenge. Once the signal flag flew, the two began to fight. The other knight may have been strong, but Gwaine was fast enough to evade each of his advances. When their swords collided, it seemed that Gwaine's arm turned to jelly and his weapon went flying across the field. When he ran to go get it, the other knight picked him up by the torso and flung him to the ground a good ten feet away. Merlin could hear the sickening crack from where he sat.

"There goes another," Gwen sighed sadly. Incredibly, she seemed bored with the whole thing.

"Perhaps I should help them," Merlin said as Gaius walked out onto the field with an empty, but bloodstained, stretcher. He'd been doing all the doctoring work that day with only the help of a few scrawny volunteers, but they seemed to have given up. Merlin stood up and ran over to the door which lead onto the field. Gwaine wasn't moving, and as far as Merlin could see, wasn't breathing.

"Merlin, thank goodness," Gaius said, looking up. "I'm going to need your help. It's just a broken arm here, but he's passed out, so we should move quickly and try to get the armor off before he wakes up."

"Should we carry him to the medical tent?" Merlin asked, kneeling beside the unconscious body.

"No, if he wakes up and starts screaming it'll be good drama for the crowd."

"That's sick," Merlin muttered.

"That's sport, my boy," Gaius laughed.

He and Merlin both worked to quickly remove as much armor from Gwaine's left shoulder as possible. Then the tough part came where they would have to lift the shirt of chainmail over his head. Gaius counted to three before leveling the injured arm, then Gwaine woke up. His screams of pain echoed throughout the whole field, and probably across the city. Merlin quickly pulled up the chainmail and Gaius was able to put the arm back down.

"That's a good lad," Gaius laughed, patting Gwaine on the shoulder as he began to whimper and cry. They hoisted him onto the stretcher and carried him off. The crowd cheered and waved as they left and Merlin discovered that it was for the other knight since he'd won the round.

Once in the medical tent, Gaius worked on setting the broken bone and patching up the arm. As he worked, Arthur ran in, instantly finding Gwaine's side.

"What happened?" he demanded, taking his friend's uninjured hand.

"Same fellow as last year," Gaius reported. "It seems he's been working out. But there's no need to worry here; just a slight fracture, I'm almost done."

"Good, thank you, Gaius," Arthur said.

"My pleasure, sire," Gaius said, standing up as he finished. As he left, Arthur looked up at Merlin.

"Competition's tough, I guess," he shrugged.

"Still too much to ask you to drop out?" Merlin asked hopefully. Arthur smiled and chuckled softly.

"There are only two others for that man to beat before moving on to challenge me," he said softly. "I should go get suited up."

He reached out and placed a consoling hand on Merlin's cheek, but it did little good to comfort either of them.

"Will you two get a room?" Gwaine muttered, rolling his eyes.

"What kind of friend would I be if I didn't give you some kind of distraction from the pain?" Arthur laughed, looking relieved that his friend was able to pull his feeble joke.

"A damn good one if this is your idea of distraction," Gwaine answered, attempting to prop himself up. "Honestly, I'm right here; _awkward_."

"Just focus on getting better," Arthur said, joking tone gone. Gwaine nodded and Arthur stood up to leave, Merlin on his heels.

They walked over to Arthur's tent which bore the Pendragon crest on it. Once inside, Merlin went to work getting the prince suited up in his armor. Arthur watched him the whole time, though his body remained still. Merlin seemed very determined to not let it show how frightened he was, and Arthur found it endearing. Merlin finally slowed down when he reached the shoulder piece, so he stood in front of Arthur, carefully working each strap into place.

"I know what you're so afraid of," Arthur said while Merlin refused to look up.

"What's that?"

"If I ever died, you'd be left alone to fend for yourself here," Arthur said, and Merlin let out a single laugh as though he should have known better than to try to hide it. "But you don't have to worry. If anything happened to me, which nothing will, then you'd be left to Morgana's care and she would be good to you. Probably better than me since yours and Gwen's work would be cut in half. Either way, you're set for life. I wouldn't just leave you with nothing, would I?"

"Did you ever think that maybe I was never afraid of being alone?" Merlin said briskly as he moved onto another strap. "That maybe what I'm afraid of is actually as simple as losing you?"

"Hey…" Arthur reached up and stilled Merlin's hands until the boy looked up at him with shining eyes. "If that's what you were afraid of, why didn't you just say so?"

"Because it's silly and doesn't make any sense," Merlin said, yanking his hands away, but Arthur was quick to gather him in his arms and bring him to his cold, metal chest. Merlin didn't resist, but wrapped his arms around Arthur's neck. "Please don't go out there, I can't lose you!"

"Merlin, I'm not going to be hurt," Arthur tried to assure him. "I promise, if I come back with any more than a scratch on me, then you'll be allowed to be angry, but there's no need to worry otherwise. This is all just a game; no one's really died in competitions like these. In others, yes, but there are too many rules for this one. You really have nothing to worry about."

"All it takes is one wrong blow to the head and you're gone!" Merlin said, looking up.

"And that is what this is for," Arthur said, holding up his helmet. "Merlin, can you just trust that I know what I'm doing? More than fighting, I've been trained to survive since birth. Just stay where I can see you and this will be over with quickly."

Merlin nodded, though his insides were a tangled mess of nerves. Arthur leaned forward and caught Merlin in a kiss, instantly curing the inner butterflies. But of course, once they started, it was rather difficult to stop. It wasn't until the announcer called for Arthur that they parted, sheepish smiles on their faces.

"Wish me luck," Arthur said, smiling as Merlin quickly grabbed his sword from a nearby table.

"_Don't die_," Merlin ordered. He kissed Arthur on the cheek one last time before they both left the tent. Arthur went on his own way to the battle field while Merlin returned to his place in the stands.

"Isn't this so exciting?" said Gwen, clapping her hands together as the opposing knight walked onto the field to meet Arthur.

"If that's what you could call it," Merlin said, nervously rubbing his hands on his knees. "Gwen, what would happen if something went…wrong?"

"You mean what if that man accidentally killed Arthur?" Gwen guessed, looking over at Merlin with a sympathetic expression. "Well, Uther would either challenge him to the death or wage war on his homeland."

"You're not _serious_," Merlin said incredulously.

"What else would we want to go to war for?" Gwen asked with a laugh.

The signal flag dropped and the fight commenced. Merlin shut his eyes tightly, then opened them since he was unable to stand not knowing what was happening. At least Arthur seemed to be in control the whole time, always dodging the knight just in time. Where Gwaine had been so focused on staying safe, Arthur was able to get in attacks of his own, catching the knight off guard. Then he made the same mistake as Gwaine and his sword was flung twenty feet away. When he went after it, the knight slammed his fist onto the small of his back, knocking him to the ground. Merlin suddenly slid forward in his seat, a thousand curses popping up in his mind as the knight knocked Arthur down when he tried to get up. The whole area had gone silent, so he was able to hear in perfect clarity the low groan of pain Arthur emitted as he weakly attempted to crawl away. The knight mercilessly marched up to him and flipped his body onto his back. As he pulled back his fist, Arthur suddenly reached up and punched the knight's helmet off his head. Dazed and confused, the knight stumbled back but Arthur followed, pulling off his own helmet and using it to club the man over the head with a thud that echoed across the field. As the knight fell to the ground and remained still, the crowd cheered and Arthur was declared the winner of the match. Everybody got to their feet to cheer him on as he smiled waved. He stopped in front of the King's area and bowed, secretly delivering a wink in Merlin's direction.

"That man is the toughest player out there, looks like Arthur wins again," Gwen said while she clapped.

"And this happens every year?" Merlin asked.

"Like groundhog's day."

"So how long until it's over?"

"Arthur's record is beating them all in less than twenty minutes," she said, grinning proudly.

"Oh, good," Merlin sighed.

It took only fifteen minutes since Arthur seemed to be in a hurry to earn his title once again and get out of there. He had a duty to accept congratulations from the people and mingle among them, but he told Merlin to go to the bedchamber and start preparing the bath. It didn't take long for him to join Merlin in the castle where the sounds of the crowds outside were drowned out. He walked into the bedchamber and shut the door behind him, leaning against it as he gazed at the scene before him.

"You have no idea how good you look right now," Arthur said with a tired smile. Merlin returned it by smiling up from where he sat beside the tub full of gently steaming water. "Mind helping me out of this?"

Merlin stood up and crossed the room over to Arthur and began unstrapping the armor. "You were amazing out there."

"Not as scary as you thought?" Arthur asked, gratefully setting down the heavy metal pieces on the table.

"No, it was even scarier," Merlin laughed. "But I guess I learned to trust that you were comfortable with your moves. For a second I could have sworn you were caught in some erotically brutal dance."

"Erotic? How did that fit in?" Arthur asked. Merlin looked up as he knelt down and smiled. Arthur's jaw dropped a little while Merlin unbuckled his belt and removed the sword. "Now you're just teasing me." Arthur quickly backed away, pulling off the rest of his clothes and sinking into the bath. He sighed with relief as the many sore muscles on his body began to relax.

"Are you hurt at all?" Merlin asked, grabbing the soap before taking his usual place beside the tub.

"A few scrapes, plenty of bruises," he said. Anyone else would have thought he was describing trophies won. Merlin shook his head with a small smile and dipped his hand in the water, allowing his healing magic to find Arthur's body. "That feels good…"

"I made it up myself after I was first captured," Merlin explained. "I saw that all the other slaves were being hurt for no reason, and I only wanted to help them. So I got to try my creativity for once."

"I'm sure they were all very grateful," Arthur said, taking Merlin's hand. He'd noticed that the same tortured look had briefly crossed his face as though he remembered something terrible from that time. "You couldn't have saved them all; at least you did what you could. It's a terrible thing that slaves die, but it only makes it that much more of a miracle that you're here. Don't tell me you lost a friend out there?"

"Not exactly…" Merlin let his chin rest on his hand at the edge of the tub. "One of my masters had a daughter who was sick. He wouldn't tell me what it was, but she threw up blood every day. When he found out what I could do, he ordered me to fix her. The spell isn't that powerful, but it managed to hold the sickness at bay, so he ordered her to follow me around as I did my chores and I would use the spell on her for hours at a time. But then her body became dependent on that and when he sent me out to the market for one day, she died. Of course he blamed me."

"What did he do?"

Merlin instantly sat up and cleared his throat, thus dismissing the conversation. "That was a long time ago. I just want to forget."

"Alright," Arthur said, though he was frustrated that he had come so close to breaking down that final wall that Merlin hid behind, only to have him shut down like before. "While you're here, I don't want you to worry about anything other than me."

"And what do I have to worry about from you?" Merlin asked, grateful for a reason to smile.

Arthur pouted and his eyes widened. "I'm a sea monster…" He suddenly grinned and sank below the water, curling up at the bottom so he looked like a giant fetus. Merlin laughed to himself and ran his fingers through Arthur's hair which floated weightlessly. Arthur quickly grabbed his arm and yanked Merlin down into the water with him. He wrestled Merlin until he managed to pin the boy beneath him.

"What was that for?" Merlin demanded as he looked down at his clothes which were quickly soaking up the water.

"What, puppy afraid of a little water?" Arthur teased. Merlin rolled his eyes and relaxed a little bit. Arthur grinned triumphantly and leaned down to kiss him slowly as the water rose up around them.

"We need to get you clean," Merlin said when they parted. He carefully got out of the tub, slipping along the way. He grabbed the bar of soap and tossed it to Arthur. "Will you need any help or can I go get dry?"

"I think I can figure out the complicated machinery of a bar of soap," Arthur said exasperatedly. He held it up in a fist only to let it slip out a moment later. While he looked all around for it, Merlin left the room and began walking toward Gaius's. As he walked through the halls, Uther and one of his knights happened to come walking by.

"Boy, what happened?" he asked curiously, looking down at Merlin's soaked clothes.

"Oh, uh…Arthur's decided to be a sea monster," Merlin said simply, looking up at him with a small shrug.

Uther nodded, but with a frown. He turned to watch Merlin walk away, water dripping along his path and his shoes squishing. Sea monster…he remembered hearing those words a long time ago. It used to be Arthur's game with his mother when he was barely a year old. After she died, he never heard that term again. Perhaps it was that he'd won the tournament yet again that had him in such a childish mood, or maybe it was something else…Uther didn't want to push it. His son was happy and a winner, so all was well. But still, there had been a definite change around the castle in the past week.

A/N: Reviews are the equivalent of love…I love reviews, therefore I love reviewers, so drop one off and I shall love you forever :) but since you're reading this anyway, I love you by default.


	5. Chapter 5

After the Knight's Tournament, it was tradition that all of Camelot celebrated. From across the city, people gathered in the citadel for the festivities while a grand party was hosted within the castle for the nobles and royals. Merlin's job was to walk around the room with platters of goblets filled with wine for anybody who happened to be thirsty. That would have been fine with him if Arthur hadn't made him wear the awful red suit with a giant feathered hat and velvet robe. It made the duration of the night…embarrassing.

"How long do you plan to hold this against him?" Gwaine asked from where he and Arthur leaned against a wall.

"For the rest of his life," Arthur laughed, watching with amusement as Merlin tried to weave his way through the crowd with his hat constantly brushing in people's faces.

"Isn't this torture in some rare, civilized cultures?" Gwaine asked, snickering as an elderly lady scowled at Merlin.

"Probably, but I'll make it up to him later," Arthur shrugged.

"Is that confidence I hear?" Gwaine smirked.

"It is…" Arthur admitted, barely containing the smile on his lips.

Gwaine watched his friend, jaw dropping in astonishment. He was honestly glad that Arthur was happy and had found someone to put that silly grin on his face, but there was something off about Merlin that he didn't trust. Like he was hiding something dark and dangerous, covering it up with that blithe smile and innocent twinkle in his eyes. At least Gwaine could never be accused of not caring about those close to him. And with that thought on his mind, he decided that there was only one person to go to.

"I'll be right back," he said, eyes finding Gaius across the room.

"What?" Arthur said, unable to see why their conversation had been cut short. He quickly forgot when he saw that Merlin had come close enough that Arthur could save him. With a wicked look in his eyes, he stood up and walked in the opposite direction Gwaine had gone.

Gwaine walked up to Gaius who was standing alone, watching all the people with his beady expression that never seemed to falter. There were very few physicians in Camelot, so he rarely had anyone to talk to about the craft. He must have viewed precious Merlin as an angel, so Gwaine knew he had to tread carefully.

"Evening, Gaius," he said, casually nodding to the man.

"And to you," Gaius answered. He sounded bored, which was good. Then he would be more than willing to talk about something interesting.

"My friend, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind helping me with a little problem," Gwaine said, hushing his voice as to not be overheard.

"Not another of _those_ problems," Gaius said exasperatedly, purposefully inclining Gwaine's lower half.

"No!" Gwaine said quickly, eyes widening with terror. "That's all…cleared up. I was actually hoping to know the extent of your knowledge on magic."

Gaius halted everything then, setting down his drink on the nearest table. "Gwaine, as I have been your physician for most of your natural life, I consider us a family of sorts. That is why I am telling you that you must be _very_ careful about the next few words out of your mouth."

"Whoa, call off the hounds," Gwaine laughed nervously. "I'm just worried about a friend. He's acting like he's been put under some sort of love spell and I wanted to know if there was any way to be sure."

Gaius nodded, satisfied with the explanation. "Perhaps if you tell me who this friend is, I could investigate for myself. The eye of an experienced one is far more efficient than…you."

"No, it's too soon to be naming names," Gwaine said, frowning at the old man's jibe. "I want to be absolutely sure before I start accusing anybody, or placing my friend in an awkward position. Isn't there something I can do that will help him anyway? Any kind of de-magic-ing potion?"

"It's a good thing you came to me, then," Gaius sighed, shaking his head. "If you'd gone about this on your own, you could have ended up poisoning somebody. And yes, I suppose there is some way for you to be helpful. The most potent love spells involve some kind of trinket that the victim spends lengths of time around, probably a necklace worn during the day, or something on a night gown. The best ones blend in with their scenery, but your friend would give it extra attention. If you can find such a thing, bring it to me and I will determine if it is magic or not."

"Great! I'll get right on it." As Gwaine walked away, Gaius picked up his drink and downed it in a single gulp.

On the other side of the room, Arthur had finally found his moment to pounce on his manservant. When Merlin least expected it, the prince grabbed his arm and dragged him away from the crowd and into the nearest broom closet.

"Arthur, what do you think you're doing?" Merlin asked, though he was honestly relieved that he didn't have to face further humiliation.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't help myself," Arthur shrugged with an innocent smile. He stepped forward, pinning Merlin against the wall with his body. "There must be something about Camelot colors…or that stunningly attractive beacon you're wearing."

"Cruel, inhumane torture," Merlin said, pouting at the feather which was so large it hung down beside his face.

Arthur laughed quietly and leaned forward to kiss him. Merlin responded as he always did, kissing back heatedly while their bodies quickly became a tangled mess. When the feathered hat began to get in the way, Arthur knocked it off Merlin's head and took advantage of being able to run his hands through his hair. They both felt it when they had reached their limit; that one line that meant no return if crossed. Parting, they were left panting and wanting. Normally, they were able to cool down relatively quickly, but the flame they had ignited stubbornly continued to burn, demanding fuel.

"Perhaps we can continue this elsewhere," Arthur suggested, looking up to find that Merlin's eyes were full of as much lust as he felt. "My chambers…ten minutes?"

"Deal," Merlin said, reaching up to kiss Arthur one last time. They both stepped away from each other, smoothing out wrinkles and replacing giant hats. Arthur left the closet first, Merlin a minute after. As he walked away, it hit him that the time had come where he and Arthur both wanted to take things up to the next level. That could only mean one thing for him: he had to tell the secret which had been holding him back for so long. He knew that Arthur was aware of its existence, and he was thankful that he hadn't pushed to know what it was. It terrified Merlin to think that once he let down his guard, Arthur would never look at him the same, but something had to be done. He wanted to _be_ with his hero, to trust him with the darkest corners of his heart. At last, it seemed the time had come.

Arthur made it to the room first even though he'd just spent a few minutes delivering a lame excuse to his father as to why he was abandoning the celebration. Uther bought it anyway because he knew that Arthur always got bored during such events. However, the king did notice that the new servant happened to disappear as well. It did nothing to ease his suspicions, but he wasn't willing to act on them until Arthur showed signs of being distracted from his royal duties. With an uneasy mind, he went back to his conversation with foreign royalty.

Arthur spent his minutes alone in the room making everything cozy and inviting. He lit the fireplace, pulled back the corners of the blankets, and began to pace. As the moments wore on, he insanely began to think that maybe, Merlin was backing out. Perhaps Arthur had been too forward and scared the poor thing off. Thankfully, his fears were to put rest as Merlin walked through the door, running right up into his arms. And then everything was just as they had left it, heated and hungry. Within moments, they returned to that line that they both so desperately wanted to cross. Arthur could barely breathe with the anticipation of knowing that it would be with the boy in his arms. Merlin couldn't breathe knowing that it had to end immediately.

"Arthur, there's something…something I n-need to tell you," he managed to gasp, difficult while Arthur was doing such wonderful things to his neck. His hands shook while he gently pushed himself away.

At first Arthur was confused—everything had been going wonderfully up to that point. And then he saw Merlin's face. It was that same hurt, distant, terribly shaken expression that he wore every time his past traumas came up. He nodded his understanding that the situation had suddenly become serious and Merlin attempted a grateful smile. Arthur took his hand and pulled him over to the bed where they both sat down with a heavy silence between them. Arthur waited patiently while Merlin struggled to find the words he needed to say.

"Arthur, let me just say now that you deserve better," Merlin said quickly, the words spilling out of him so quickly that he couldn't stop himself. He took a deep breath and continued. "You deserve somebody who is…whole. I'm broken and scarred, completely not normal. Not to mention, I'm against the law simply by existing."

"Stupid law," Arthur laughed, rolling his eyes. "You know none of these things are going to scare me. If you're asking me if I'm sure about you, then you already know my answer."

"You _are _too good for me…" Merlin chuckled softly, his eyes avoiding Arthur's.

"That's not true," Arthur assured him. "All those things you said…you wouldn't be you without them. If it was a matter of deserving each other in the way you're thinking, then I would be with Morgana and that just doesn't sit right with me. She's like a sister. So why don't you try again?"

Merlin nodded, pursing his lips. He'd offered Arthur a way out, or rather, himself one. If Arthur changed his mind about him, then there would be no need to explain his secret. But he forced himself to see the blessing. There was finally somebody who wanted to listen and more importantly, somebody to trust. With his life, such people were difficult to come by.

"Do you remember what I told you earlier? About the girl? You asked what my master did after she died." Arthur nodded and waited, breathless. Merlin's eyes were shut tightly, but the redness suggested that he was barely managing to hold back tears. His jaw quivered as he struggled to find his voice, which was meager and shy when he finally did. "When I got back from the market that day, I didn't know what had happened. I found my master in his study…drinking. When I walked in, h-he didn't even bother telling me what happened, just started rambling on nonsense and glaring at me."

Merlin paused as a tremor rocked his body. He reached up and covered his face, taking deep gulps of air. Arthur placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and nearly leaped away when Merlin flinched. As soon as Merlin realized what happened, he leaned into the touch and nodded to show that he was alright.

"So he hit me," Merlin continued, clasping his hands together shakily. "Then again…and again. He'd only done it before when I made mistakes like forgetting to muck out the stables or breaking dishes, so I assumed it was my own fault and didn't fight back. He hit me over the head so many times I was dizzy and didn't understand what was happening when he threw me on the d-desk…"

With a sickening feeling in his stomach, Arthur realized where the story was going. Merlin had been taken against his will. So that was why he was the one backing down all the times they had reached the line before. The part of him that was supposed to be sacred had been tainted by somebody cruel and uncaring. Arthur slid his arm across Merlin's shoulder and pulled him into his chest.

"I understand…" he said quietly, leaning his face into Merlin's hair. "Merlin, how did you ever get out of that place?"

"He sold me to Gordon the next day," Merlin shrugged, finally calming down as he clung to Arthur. He sat up and looked the prince in the eyes. "You see, this is why you deserve better. Every time I even think about going…that far, it's like it's still happening. He's always with me, no matter what I do. Before you rescued me, it was like every day was that morning in the slave market, him yelling at me to walk faster when all I could think about was the pain. You shouldn't have to deal with that…with me. You _need_ somebody who won't hesitate at every opportunity to be with you."

"Yet, after all you just told me, you're still the only one I want," Arthur said, earning a small smile from Merlin. "I don't care if this is as close as we'll ever be to each other, so long as we're never further apart. I know you've got demons, we all have. Let me help you."

Merlin smiled and laughed beside a broken sob. He reached up and placed his palm against Arthur's cheek, watching the prince's eyes flutter as they made contact. "When did I become the lucky one?"

"When you decided to pick up a weed at a flower shop," Arthur shrugged, glad to see him be happy again. "Magic or not, I think something higher than us was at work that day. It's just too much of a coincidence for it not to be."

"So we're written in the stars now?" Merlin laughed incredulously.

"I guess it would make sense," Arthur argued. "If I hadn't met you, maybe I would have never seen the good side to magic. I would never want to change the law once I'm king. How many thousands would be affected if I allowed magic back into the kingdom?"

Merlin's smile suddenly failed, replaced by something bright and primal. Arthur recognized it instantly and was ready when Merlin pounced on his lips, knocking them both back further onto the bed. Arthur would have grinned, but Merlin kept his mouth busy. They kept things slow and sweet, staying well within their limits while skirting the boundaries with every touch. It was maddening to be pushed so far to the edge, yet unable to jump over. After a while, they'd had their share of wonderful torture, Arthur convinced Merlin not to return to Gaius's quarters. He lulled the boy to sleep, bound in his arms, with stories of his adventures across the land and sea. After nearly an hour, Merlin finally began to drift off and Arthur had him just where he needed him.

"Merlin…" he whispered softly enough that he barely disturbed the hair on his head. The boy slightly twitched, but just enough. "Tell me his name, Merlin. Tell me his name and you will forget all about it."

For just a moment, nothing happened. Then Merlin mumbled a name under his breath, barely audible, but Arthur recognized it enough. He'd met Earnest Nickleby only once when he came to the palace to beg Gaius for help with his daughter. It was almost a year ago, but he remembered the man being escorted out in a frantic state, screaming at everyone who would listen that the king was allowing his child to die. Arthur tightened his grip around Merlin's body, wishing he could simply go back in time and prevent the whole terrible thing from ever happening. As he closed his eyes, he drifted off with thoughts of sweet revenge.

Gwaine skipped knight's training the next day. His arm was reason enough to earn him weeks of rest, but he made others suspicious by not insisting to at least watch the training and shout insults. He only really needed to provide an excuse for Arthur since his opinion was the one that really mattered. He very easily bought the story about a kind maiden who was willing to nurse him back to health and Gwaine momentarily doubted whether or not Arthur would manage being king with that trusting nature of his.

After making sure that Arthur was good and distracted, he made his way up to the royal bedchambers and opened it with his special copy of the key. Everything inside was neat and tidy, so Merlin obviously wasn't looking to be treated like royalty if he was using magic on Arthur. That just made Gwaine more curious. What reason could there be to have a prince under your spell without the endgame of power? Gwaine determinedly went all around, checking for any little trinkets as Gaius had described before. There was nothing out of the ordinary, he himself had seen most of the things before Merlin's arrival. After a few minutes, he began to get impatient. He ruffled the drapes, tossed clothes across the room, and pulled up all the bed sheets. When he lifted Arthur's favorite pillow, he laughed aloud with triumph. A glass flower had been hiding there, so small and seemingly innocent. He pocketed the flower and quickly made his exit only to run into Merlin himself as he was headed toward the room.

"Gwaine, I thought you were bedridden with a lady?" he said with a coy smile.

"I was going to, but the lady's father decided Gaius was more fit to nurse me," Gwaine shrugged. Merlin noticed something behind his shoulder then and frowned.

"Were…you just in Arthur's room?"

"Um…yes, I was. I was just looking for a little something to wear to impress a different lady…couldn't find it," Gwaine said, mentally congratulating himself on his lie. "Sorry about the mess."

He quickly walked away, grinning when he heard Merlin's groan at finding the room looking like a disaster. Within minutes he had reached Gaius's quarters and found the physician inside among his experiments and journals.

"I have it!" Gwaine announced, holding up his small trophy.

"Excellent," Gaius said, not betraying his surprise. Gwaine never usually succeeded at such covert missions. He quickly searched around his table for a glass bottle of silver dust. After being handed the flower, he sprinkled the dust on it, watching in amazement as the glass shimmered and began to glow. "Gwaine, I do believe you were right for once. Magic was used to create this. It'll take longer to find the exact spell used on it, but it won't be impossible. Or you could confront the sorcerer and find out that way, though I think it would be easier for you to just tell me who it is."

"You hold onto that, tell me if you've found something," Gwaine said, unable to hide his worry. He left the physician to his work, plotting all the things he would do to Merlin if he was proven guilty. For the time being, all he could do was wait and watch over his friend.

A/N: sorry it took so long, rough week and all that. I promise to make it up to you, hint hint: M ratings in the near future ^.^


	6. Chapter 6

As Merlin approached the royal bedchamber, he straightened the plates on his tray and made it presentable. Knocking twice, he walked into Arthur's room to find the prince had turned it upside down and continued to do so. His bed mattress had been flipped over onto the floor and the blankets had been strewn all over. One of the pillows was ripped and vomiting feathers all over the room which floated with every frantic step Arthur took.

"Not again…" Merlin muttered, sighing heavily. It had taken almost an hour to clean up the mess Gwaine left the day before. He walked into the room and brushed the feathers off the table so he could set down the tray. "Arthur, are you alright?"

"Um…I don't…maybe," Arthur said vaguely as he ripped the drapes down. "I just can't find something…"

"You never will in this mess," Merlin laughed. Arthur momentarily paused, lost in thought.

"You're a genius, Merlin," he said, nodding. "We'll have to burn it all after careful inspection."

"We will not," Merlin said, frowning at Arthur as he began to worry for his mental health. Merlin recited a short incantation and all the feathers instantly floated back into the pillow case which stitched itself shut. Arthur nervously ran to the door and closed it, thankful that nobody had been near enough to see.

"Be careful," he warned as Merlin realized what he'd done and looked horrified.

"I'm sorry," Merlin said quickly, handing Arthur the healed pillow. "What is all this about? What are you looking for?"

Arthur looked down with shame and embarrassment. "It's the flower…I usually keep it under my pillow when I sleep and when I'm training, but it's not there."

"What flower?" Merlin said, causing Arthur to look up with astonishment. "You mean the one I gave you in the market place? I can always make another, that's easy."

"But I don't want just any other," Arthur sighed, sitting down at the table, shoulders hunched with defeat. "That one was special! You gave it to me the day we met and I've kept it safe ever since. I know every curve and point so a new one just wouldn't be the same."

"If it means that much to you, I guess I could track it down," Merlin offered, unable to contain his smile. It was sweet in an odd way that Arthur was so torn up over the smallest token of his affection. "When did you have it last?"

"Just before I went to training yesterday," Arthur said, thinking back. "I would have noticed that it was missing right after, but you were already here and distracted me…"

"I remember," Merlin said with a blush. But then he also remembered the reason why he was in the room at the time. His heart sank at the thought that Gwaine might have done anything to hurt Arthur, so he kept the thought to himself. No need to go creating a problem when there might be a perfectly innocent solution.

"Gaius, anything?" Gwaine asked as he walked into the physician's quarters.

"Almost something," Gaius said, waving the knight over to his working table. It was fully loaded with many small bottles filled with clear liquids. "I've spent all morning preparing these solutions here. Once they make contact with the flower, they will change color and that will tell me different things about the magic used to create it."

"Well, that was simple," Gwaine said, nodding his approval.

"You aren't the one who had to mix it all," Gaius muttered. He picked up the glass flower from nearby and dipped it into the first bottle. The liquid instantly turned a bright yellow.

"What does that mean?" Gwaine asked eagerly.

"There is no negative energy attached to it," Gaius answered, using a towel to dry off the flower. Then he dipped it into the next bottle and the liquid turned green. Before Gwaine could ask, Gaius answered. "It was made out of an actual piece of nature." He repeated the process and went on to the next liquid which turned purple. "It won't give you warts."

"Don't you just have one that will tell you if it's part of a love spell?" Gwaine asked impatiently.

"Believe me when I say that this is faster," Gaius said irritably. Gwaine pouted and sat down, preparing himself for a long wait.

After an hour, there was hardly any progress. Gaius merrily tested the flower against every liquid he had and only managed to determine that the flower basically did nothing. While Gwaine was completely bored, the physician was too excited about finally having something to perform the experiment on. Just when he'd come to the final bottle, Merlin suddenly walked in. Gwaine instantly stood up, backing away while Gaius momentarily paused. Merlin looked from Gwaine, to Gaius, to the flower, then back to Gwaine with a confused expression.

"Gwaine, did you take that from Arthur's room?" Merlin asked through his odd state of mind.

"_Arthur's_ the one under the love spell?" Gaius said, jaw dropping.

"Love spell? What's that have to do with anything?" Merlin asked, looking back and forth between the two.

"Gwaine believes that Arthur is under a spell and I've just discovered that this flower has something to do with it," Gaius said, grinning down at his myriad of conclusions on the table.

"Absolutely not," Merlin said defensively. He marched right up to Gaius and took back his flower. "Transfiguration is all it is. I should know, I _made _it."

"Gwaine, why didn't you tell me Merlin was your suspect?" Gaius said, scolding the knight with his intense glare.

Gwaine realized then that there would be no way to convince the physician that the boy he was so fond of was a magician. Merlin probably had the man under his spell as well. So he did the most logical thing and drew his sword, instantly finding Merlin's neck.

"Walk," he ordered coldly. "You and I are going to pay a visit to the king."

"Gwaine, you can't be serious," Gaius said, looking positively destroyed. "Merlin would never use his magic in such a way! If you take him to the king he'll have him burned at the stake!"

"Then whatever spell he's been using on Arthur and you will be removed," Gwaine said, forcing Merlin to walk forward.

"Gaius, I'll be alright," Merlin assured him, though not able to feel it himself. He carefully walked in front of the sword which prompted him out of the room. They slowly walked down the halls which were blissfully empty. After a few moments, Merlin dared to talk. "Gwaine, if you'll just let me explain—"

"Save it," Gwaine said, cutting him off. "I know better than to listen to a wizard. You'll say anything to save your own skin."

"At least tell me how you knew that I can do magic," Merlin said. Painful hopelessness began to settle in as they reached the final hallway before the throne room.

"I know Arthur better than anybody in this world," Gwaine said. "Ever since you came here, it's like he's somebody completely different. It's barely been more than a week and you've already got him convinced that he's in love."

"What?" Merlin said, whirling around. He didn't even feel it when the sword scratched his skin—his mind was entirely elsewhere.

"Oh, don't pretend you didn't know," Gwaine growled angrily. "I just can't believe it took this long for me to find out."

"No, no no no, this is bad!" Merlin said breathlessly, clutching his head which was barely managing to contain the mind blowing revelation.

"Um…am I missing something?" Gwaine said, feeling doubt for the first time since his decision.

"Arthur is the_ prince of Camelot_," Merlin said as though it was supposed to make Gwaine understand. "He can't afford to be in love! Not with me anyway…these feelings were just supposed to be temporary. He'd eventually forget about me, we'd become good friends, I could visit home every now and then without feeling lonely at all, and everything would just be better. He's meant to marry a woman who will make a good queen to rule the kingdom with."

"Okay…if you're trying to convince me that you didn't do anything to him—"

"Gwaine, don't you realize how terrible this is?" Merlin shouted. "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner? Better yet, why didn't you convince him to change his mind?"

"Enough!" Gwaine said, trying to shake away the idea that Merlin might be innocent. "Stop trying to make yourself look innocent in all this, I'm not going to buy it."

"You're right, I deserve to be killed," Merlin concluded. Nodding to himself, he began to head toward the throne room alone. "Arthur's role in this kingdom is bigger than me. He'll never accept it if he's in love."

"Whoa, hold on now," Gwaine said, running up to stop him in his tracks. "You could just as easily leave and never come back, why face death?"

"Because leaving would just make him want to come after me," Merlin said. He wished Gwaine would just move out of his way. He needed to get it done before his numb state of mind gave out. "He can't follow me if I'm dead."

"Merlin, don't ever underestimate the power of a madman in love," Gwaine said. "Now I really don't understand…what does the flower have to do with any of this?"

"The flower? Nothing," Merlin shrugged. "When I was still a slave, my master used a spell that limited all my power. A love spell was beyond me, but making the flower was easy. I just gave it to Arthur because I caught him admiring it, that's all."

"So…he's not under any spell?"

"I would never do that to him, especially not when I owe him my life and freedom," Merlin said, looking offended. "Now please…I have to go."

"Will you just hold on!" Gwaine said, stopping Merlin as he tried to push his way past. And that was all the poor boy could take. Merlin's eyes became very bright and shone with tears that he could no longer hold back.

"Please, just let me go before I lose my nerve," he said, his voice beginning to crumble.

"But now I just can't allow it," Gwaine admitted. "I can't knowingly destroy my friend's heart now that I know it was all real! Merlin, he's _in love with you_. He's never been this way before, and believe me, he never will. I guess…we'll just have to make it work. Arthur will be king, and you're not going to let him throw it away. If that means I have to chain you to his side for the rest of eternity, then so be it."

"Wait, what just happened here?" Merlin asked, wiping away his tears. "You were about to sentence me to death because he loved me, now you're going to force me to live for the same reason?"

"Yeah, sounds about right," Gwaine shrugged. "Before I thought you were trying to hurt him. I see now that you leaving would do just that. As his right hand man, it's my job to watch his back. And right now, it means getting this back to him." Gwaine pointed to the flower which Merlin had been clinging to for dear life. "I'll go assure Gaius that you're not dying anytime soon. Mind giving me a heads up if Arthur decides to kill me for ever doubting you?"

"Gwaine, I know you were just trying to protect his heart," Merlin said with an understanding smile. "I wouldn't dream of diminishing his faith in you. I don't see why he needs to know this time."

"Thank you, Merlin," Gwaine said with a nod. He turned and headed back the way they'd come while Merlin went in search of Arthur.

As he walked, Merlin's nerves finally began to calm down and it sank in that he'd just about gotten himself killed. He'd never been so willingly near death before. The hand which clutched the flower was in pain since his grip was so tight, but he just couldn't let go. Some part of him still thought that turning around and carrying through with it was the best idea, but he pushed it away and stubbornly walked forward.

After a minute, he reached Arthur's room but found that it was empty. He tried to remember if he was supposed to be anywhere, but his memory wasn't exactly in working condition. Finally, he spotted Gwen and Morgana walking nearby.

"Gwen, if you had bothered to tell me before I probably would have done something different!" Morgana was saying as she hurried to keep up with Gwen who looked very unfriendly.

"Um, Gwen?" Merlin asked as he fell into step with her.

"Not now, Merlin," Gwen said coldly, not making eye contact. She hurried past and Merlin stopped. Morgana also gave up the chase and stood beside him.

"It's all my fault…" Morgana sighed, biting her lip with worry. "She never told me that she liked the knight, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered to flirt. She hasn't said anything to you, has she? I haven't gotten her to talk to me since the party the other night."

"She hasn't told me a thing," Merlin shrugged apologetically. "Morgana, would you happen to know where Arthur is?"

"Library," she said passively before taking off down the hall. "Gwen, wait!"

Arthur looked up from his book suspiciously, just in time to see the librarian quickly lower his eyes. He awkwardly turned away and flipped the page of the book. Grinning, he found what he had been looking for all morning. On a spare piece of paper, he wrote down the information from the book before tucking it safely back into his pocket. He closed the book and put it back on the shelf, then turned to leave.

"Have a _wonderful_ day, sire!" the librarian said, abruptly standing up with a wide grin on his face.

Arthur waved with a smile, not verbalizing how insanely creepy the man seemed. He must have gone a little insane after spending all his days trapped in a room where hardly anybody visited. Arthur quickly left, feeling as though staying for another moment would get him sucked into a black hole. Almost as soon as he opened the door, Merlin crashed into him.

"Hey, careful now," he laughed, holding onto Merlin to regain balance. "You alright?"

"Fine," Merlin shrugged with a careless smile. He took Arthur's hand and placed in it the glass flower.

"You found it!" Arthur exclaimed, grinning madly as he held up his small prize. Looking down at the tired smile on Merlin's face, Arthur could have easily been convinced that the journey took him across the world, through terrifying dangers. "Where was it?"

"The laundry room," Merlin said quickly, his smile faltering for just a moment. "It must have gotten caught in your shirt yesterday when we…fluffed the pillows."

"Merlin, you're amazing," Arthur laughed, gathering the boy up in his arms and hugging him tightly. Merlin's head rested on his shoulder and he let out a soft breath before they parted.

"I have chores to do; finding that took longer than I thought it would," he explained, stepping away. "See you tonight?"

"Of course," Arthur nodded. Merlin smiled and walked away, then Arthur did the same.

"Arthur?" Merlin said when they'd gotten only ten feet apart. Arthur turned and saw the nervousness on Merlin's face, plain as day. He was about to say something to assure him, but Merlin apparently wouldn't hear any of it since he was the first to speak. "Arthur…I love you."

And that was all it took to close the space between them. Merlin was the one to ignite the kiss as Arthur held onto him so tightly that his feet left the ground. For a minute, everything was perfect. The passion was mutual as they struggled to tame it. The kiss went deeper without a desire for limits; hands went everywhere, driven by the need to touch more. And then Merlin opened his eyes and caught a brief glimpse of his own palm, red with small puncture wounds all over. It forced him to remember that he'd joined Arthur in treacherous waters that would see him burn if the king were to ever find out. But now it wasn't just the fact that he was a wizard—the prince was in love with him, therefore Merlin was a danger to the throne. But being held by Arthur, none of that mattered. Merlin was safe for the time being.

A/N: Reviews? Pretty please?


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: a note at the beginning of the chapter, o noes! Not really…just wanted to add a little foreword so that I could dedicate this chapter to the one who simply goes by "pulse". I know you likely stopped reading after the first chapter, so you probably won't get this, and I can't message my thanks to you since you were anonymously reviewing, but this is for you. My first ever flame, I shall cherish forever. As I improve in my writerocity, you shall always be kept close to heart. I will look back on the first time I read your review and smile…probably chuckle…maybe even squeal a little…so thank you. In your close mindedness, you are awesome. And so here it is, WE'RE GOING M!

You've been warned ^.^

In the days following the incident with Gwaine, Merlin was able to relax around the palace more. There were now three people who were willing to protect him and his secret, so he had more of a chance at survival if the king were ever to find out. Thankfully, Uther seemed to believe that Merlin was only an odd boy who Arthur enjoyed ordering around to do his chores. He failed to catch on to all the double meanings and well hidden smiles behind the words. As long as he remained ignorant of that, Merlin was sure that he would never be suspected of using magic.

After it had been four days, Merlin was going about his normal routine, but couldn't seem to find Arthur. He wasn't training, wasn't studying with his tutors, and most obviously not cleaning his room. After an hour of searching, Merlin was beginning to get worried. He carried out the usual crate of water canteens to the knights and stopped to talk to Gwaine.

"You haven't seen Arthur around, have you?" he asked, doing his best not to betray his twinge of worry.

"No, he skipped training, remember?" Gwaine said, looking disgruntled at his friend's lack of presence. "Why, is something wrong?"

"No, no I just…can't seem to find him anywhere," Merlin said. He nodded to Gwaine and began to turn away.

"Maybe you could check the kitchens," Gwaine suggested. "With how lazy he's been lately, I wouldn't be surprised if he was snacking away."

"Right, thanks," Merlin said, waving goodbye.

He hurried back to the castle, breaking into a run when he was sure the hallways were alone. When he reached the kitchens, he saw that all the cooks were hard at work as usual. Though some of them seemed to be extra cautious of their place since Arthur himself was walking around, picking up bits of food here and there and placing them in a heavy bag.

"Arthur, I've been looking for you all over!" Merlin said, running up to him. Arthur froze in his tracks, gripping the bag tightly with a frightened expression. "What's wrong?"

"I-uh…nothing," Arthur said quickly, backing away.

"What are you packing all that food for?" Merlin inquired, following his footsteps.

"Just a small trip, that's all," Arthur said. He quickly walked past Merlin, refusing to make eye contact, and left the kitchens with his servant on his heels.

"Arthur, what trip?" Merlin demanded as they walked down the halls.

"It's nothing, really," Arthur said passively. "I'm just going to be gone for a couple days and I didn't want you to worry."

"But now I am worried!" Merlin exclaimed. The thought of being in the castle without Arthur's constant guidance was the most terrifying thought to ever cross his mind. But then there was worse. "You were afraid to tell me because it's dangerous, isn't it? Arthur, are you putting yourself in danger?"

"No, I'll be perfectly fine, I promise," Arthur said, rolling his eyes dramatically.

"Then I'll come with you!"

"No!" Arthur yelped, halting their progress to stop Merlin. "It's safe for me, but not so much for you. I'll be taking one of the guards with me, so don't worry. But I can't risk you being put in danger. One, you could die, and two, I'd be so busy worrying about you that I wouldn't be able to get this job over with. Just stay here and hold down the fort, I'll be back before the week is over."

"When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning," Arthur replied.

"And when were you planning to tell me that you'd gone?"

"I was thinking I'd sedate you so that you'd never know I was missing in the first place," Arthur said jokingly, but Merlin couldn't seem to appreciate the humor. "Look, I wouldn't leave you here alone if it weren't absolutely necessary. I just think that I've got a shot at finding something valuable to help bring down slavery in Camelot, but that means I'll be passing through an area of people who might recognize you. With my guard working at my side, I've got no worry of being captured. I just need to gather the information and bring it home."

"You promise?" Merlin said, only feeling the slightest bit of comfort.

"Yes, now please try not to think about it," Arthur said, taking his hand. "I'll be safe, you'll be here, we'll be together again before you get used to being alone."

"Okay, thank you," Merlin nodded. Arthur smiled and leaned forward to kiss his forehead

The whole rest of the day, Merlin was entirely consumed with the looming fear of being alone. Ever since arriving at the castle, his first thought of each day was to go see Arthur. He would probably forget one day and bring a tray of breakfast to an empty room, the bed sheets still made. He would bring out the canteens to the knights, but Arthur wouldn't leave with him. At night he would lie awake feeling unfulfilled because he hadn't given Arthur his bath and watched him climb into bed which was so comforting to him.

"Merlin, stop that," Gaius scolded, glaring at him from across the table. Merlin looked down at his arm and saw that the skin around the pen dragon crest was red from him nervously scratching.

"Sorry, can't help it," Merlin apologized. He looked back at the book he was supposed to be studying, but all the words seemed to only read out his fate. "Gaius…what do you know about protection charms?"

"Quite a bit, actually," Gaius nodded. "There are charms that can be cast on clothes to make the wearer invincible or charms that can make a person so lucky that danger just passes right over their heads. All kinds of charms can be made to protect someone's wellbeing, so what did you have in mind?"

"Something to protect a person from harm…always," Merlin said.

"Impossible for any mere charm, I'm afraid," Gaius said thoughtfully. He absently played with a corner of a book page while he tried to find a solution. "I think I know what you're getting at, though. While you can't cast a charm that will protect somebody at all times, you could give this person a spark of magic. I've only heard of it working once, but basically the spark will lie dormant in the person until their emotions run dangerously high or it senses something dangerous through foresight. Then the wizard who created the spark would be allowed to telepathically activate any kind of protection they wished for."

"Yes, that sounds perfect!" Merlin exclaimed, lighting up. "How do I do it?"

"For you, I imagine it would be quite simple," Gaius shrugged. "I'm just going to assume that the person you wish to protect is Arthur, so you would just have to concentrate on his mind while using magic as well. The only difficulty you might have is accessing that amount of emotion without letting your own thoughts get in the way. It can be a tricky thing to try out at first, but I'm confident in you."

"Oh, thank you, Gaius!" Merlin said, reaching across the table to pull the old man into a hug.

At dinner that night, Arthur noticed that Merlin seemed more preoccupied than normal. His whispered conversations with Gwen were short and she did most of the talking while he stared off in the distance. Of course, it was difficult for Arthur to keep track without Uther noticing as he continued on with his stream of questions about Arthur's sudden need for a quest. After dinner, they ventured back to Arthur's bedchamber where Merlin carried out his normal duties without a hitch. But he still seemed so distant that Arthur began to worry for him. He hadn't realized that news of his departure would have such an effect on him. He knew that something had to be done before it was too late and the poor boy was scarred for life.

"Merlin, are you feeling alright?" Arthur asked as he climbed into bed.

"Yes, fine," Merlin said while he quickly folded the prince's clothes and put them away. It was his last duty of the evening, so he finally had time to concentrate on his spell. He'd already decided that he would wait until Arthur was asleep so that there would be no distractions. But as he began to leave, it seemed Arthur had other plans.

"Wait, come here," Arthur said, reaching out for him. Merlin smiled and complied, crossing over to the bed and accepting the outstretched hand. "Stay with me for a while? I'd like something to hold onto while I'm gone."

Merlin nodded and quickly kicked off his shoes before sliding under the covers and into Arthur's waiting arms. They pressed their bodies close together as though trying to fuse together some part that would never be able to separate, no matter how far away Arthur ventured. Merlin knew it was as good a time as any, so he closed his eyes and let his magic flow.

"What are you doing?" Arthur asked instantly, breaking Merlin's concentration. Merlin understood then what Gaius meant when he said it would be difficult if his own thoughts got in the way.

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked innocently.

"You're using magic on me, aren't you?" Arthur said, frowning in confusion. He held up his hand and flexed his fingers. "It tingles…what is it?"

"Just a protection charm," Merlin shrugged. "It would really make me feel better to know you have it."

"Alright," Arthur nodded unsurely. The part of him that Uther had trained to despise magic was wavering, but his trust in Merlin was strong. "Tell me what you need me to do."

"Just be here," Merlin said with a breath of relief. He knew Arthur was still a little tender minded when it came to his using magic so openly.

Arthur nodded and Merlin closed his eyes again. They both held still for a long time to let the magic work, but as hard as Merlin tried, he couldn't get the spark to accept Arthur. It just seemed to bounce right off his skin. Merlin tightened his arms around Arthur's waist and stubbornly tried again to the same results.

"What's wrong?" Arthur asked, sensing his frustration.

"Need to be closer," Merlin said, pressing his ear against Arthur's chest.

He tried again, but still the spark refused the foreign body. Merlin then realized that it wasn't working because of him. His magic wasn't strong enough because he wasn't backing it up with emotion. Without a second thought, he reached up and pressed his lips to Arthur's, letting the prince take control of the kiss while he silently attempted the spell again. This time, the spark didn't seem entirely repulsed by Arthur, but held still and waited for more energy. Smiling to himself, he let the spark disappear and separated the kiss.

"I know why it's not working," he announced while Arthur let his breathing calm down. "For something like this, the bond between us needs to be stronger. It's not going to work because I'm holding _us_ back. As long as I'm denying how much I want you, this will never work out, any of it."

"W-what?" Arthur said, unsure if he'd heard him correctly. Merlin sat up a little, allowing him to look Arthur directly in the eyes so that he would know how sure he was.

"I _want_ you, Arthur," he said softly, reaching up to pet the prince's cheek. "Ever since I caught you following me that day in the market, I've wanted you to be mine. I know I've let my own issues get in the way until now, but I want that to be in the past. I love you too much to let you go without showing you how much you mean to me."

"Merlin, are you saying—?" Arthur had to stop himself. The thought of what was being suggested to him was so overwhelming that he could hardly comprehend that it might be true.

Merlin took his hand and brought it up between them, their fingers twining together. "Yes," he whispered. He pulled Arthur onto his knees, hands searching for the buttons of his clothes. It was all Arthur could do for his control to let him. With fairly steady hands, Merlin pushed the shirt off Arthur's broad shoulders, bringing chills over his bare skin. Feeling almost forbidden to touch, Merlin brought him down onto his lips and kissed him tenderly. Arthur responded by turning them over and laying Merlin down on the soft pillows. His ran his fingers through Merlin's dark hair, feeling every line and curve of his face as though trying to commit it to memory. He kissed a line from his lips all the way down his neck, stopping when he reached the red scarf that he always wore. He locked eyes with Merlin and the boy bit his lip, nodding ever so slightly. Without looking away from him, Arthur untied the scarf and let it drop off to the side. He moved onto his shirt, pulling it up and over his head easily. He couldn't help pausing to marvel at Merlin's body. Every scratch and scar seemed like an inscription of his life, telling a story that had Arthur completely captivated. He reached down and traced every mark with the tips of his fingers while Merlin's eyes followed his movements.

"Ugly, I know…"

"Merlin," Arthur whispered, disbelief evident on his face, "you're beautiful. I couldn't have made you more perfect myself."

Arthur dipped down and captured Merlin's lips before he could protest. Once he had Merlin breathless, he continued the trail he'd begun earlier and pushed it all the way down his chest. Merlin inhaled sharply and fisted the bed sheets when Arthur took one nipple in his mouth, biting down gently and swirling with his tongue. He moved onto the other one and did the same until Merlin was on the verge of passing out. When he was finished, he moved further down onto his stomach, loving how every touch of his caused some kind of sound to come from Merlin's throat. He kept going until he'd passed the belly button to an area that made Merlin's abdomen shiver with anticipation. Arthur spared one quick glance up before grabbing onto Merlin's pants and pulling them down until he could toss them aside.

Merlin's eyes snapped shut and he held his breath. He'd never felt so exposed and afraid, especially not in front of somebody he cared about so much. He forced himself to remain calm by thinking over and over that Arthur knew what he was doing and loved him. It helped for just a moment before Arthur grabbed his cock and swallowed him all the way down. Merlin couldn't stop the low, drawn out moan in his chest while Arthur slowly pulled back, using his tongue to the extent of its power, running along the underside and circling the head. Merlin whimpered softly when Arthur moved lower, following the vein to the most sensitive part of his body.

"Arthur…please…" Merlin gasped, unable to stand the wonderful torture much longer.

Arthur grinned at the breathy way his name was said and complied to Merlin's wish. He sat up just long enough to remove the rest of his clothing before returning for more kisses. Merlin could taste himself on Arthur's lips, but all he wanted to do is deepen the kiss or swallow him whole. When it seemed neither was achievable, he rolled them over so that he was on top and ground his hips downward until Arthur keened. Overjoyed at being able to make the prince admit such pleasurable feelings, Merlin did it again, circling his hips tauntingly.

"Such a tease," Arthur sighed, letting his head fall back while Merlin nuzzled his neck.

"I don't mean to be," Merlin whispered against the shell of his ear. "I just want you so much…want you inside me…"

They both paused then, realizing what had been said. Merlin looked down at Arthur, not a trace of doubt in his eyes. Arthur struggled to remember that he was supposed to be breathing as he realized that everything he had been fantasizing about was going to come true. Wordlessly, Merlin rolled onto his back, pulling Arthur onto his knees above him. Arthur sat back on his heels, slowly running his hands down Merlin's milky white thighs which parted for him after a slight nudge. But he couldn't seem to go further, like indulging in the gift laid out for him would be the end of sanity. Merlin sensed his hesitation and took one of his hands, bringing it up to his collar bone, letting his fingers drag against his skin. Arthur smiled, loving how well the other knew him. He reached up and traced Merlin's lips which opened at the touch, allowing his fingers into his mouth. After a moment, Arthur brought those same fingers down Merlin's body and pushed one inside of him. Merlin gasped at the intrusion and his eyes quickly fluttered shut. Arthur moved his fingers slowly at first, stretching and scissoring. When he decided it was enough, he took his hand back and positioned himself closer to Merlin's body. He took a single breath before he pushed into the tight, magical heat that was Merlin.

Merlin kept his eyes open and locked on Arthur as he entered him. Every little emotion that crossed his face was imprinted to his memory and by the way Arthur watched him, he was sure that their thoughts were the same. As though he wasn't strong enough to hold himself up, Arthur leaned forward and braced himself on his elbows, leaving his hands free to cup Merlin's face and kiss him. Merlin kissed back with full force, thankful to be distracted from the burning in his lower half. He'd felt it only once before, but this time he wanted to savor every bit of pleasure he could take from the experience. He felt his muscles tighten as Arthur pushed further and he felt his breathing hitch for just a moment. Merlin reached up and dug his fingers into Arthur's buttocks, driving him deeper and bringing them closer together. As soon as they were as attached as they were going to get, Arthur rocked back and thrust in, causing Merlin to gasp first then moan in a loud, high pitch. The sound was maddeningly arousing, so he did it again, thrusting over and over to create Merlin's sweet music. The heat and pressure between them grew to a mind-blowing peak, yet it continued to climb and all the two could do was hold on to each other. Arthur, buried in everything that was heavenly and Merlin, holding onto his prince and showing no sign of letting go. Arthur knew they were both dangerously close to the edge, but he wanted Merlin to be the first to experience it. He reached down between their bodies and grasped his cock, making him sing a whole new tune. He pumped fast and hard, bringing Merlin to orgasm in a few short moments. He came with a loud cry and his muscles suddenly tensed around Arthur, sending him over as well into the land of white heat and screaming pleasure. He filled Merlin with his release while the other's was spread across his own chest, evidence of their deed.

Arthur collapsed onto the bed, using the last of his strength to turn onto his back. Merlin curled up into the broad chest beside him and closed his eyes. They both remained there, chests heaving, hearts soaring, minds slipping into unconsciousness. It seemed like hours later that Merlin felt somewhat normal again, albeit entirely worn out. He reached up and placed one hand over Arthur's heart, feeling his spark of magic instantly come to life and welcome its new home. For just a moment, Arthur's skin glowed brilliantly, radiating warmth. Then the spark went into its dormant state and the light was gone.

"Did it work?" Arthur asked sleepily, looking down at Merlin with half lidded eyes.

"Perfectly," Merlin said, stretching up to give him a kiss.

Arthur smiled to himself as Merlin settled back into his arms, their legs entangled, torsos flush up against each other. "Merlin, I love you."

"Love you too," Merlin whispered, nuzzling his face closer to Arthur. And there they fell asleep into dreams which mirrored their new reality.

A/N: Good, bad, anyone clawing their eyes out? Review!


	8. Chapter 8

Merlin took his time while strapping the saddle bags onto the horse. Arthur and the knight who would be accompanying him stood nearby, discussing their route and pointing at a map. Merlin listened intently, absorbing every word. He wanted to be able to imagine wherever they were at any time of day, just to put his mind at ease. The rest of the courtyard was completely silent as most of the palace and town were still asleep.

Arthur and the guard finished their discussion and put the map away. It was time. Arthur walked over to Merlin and helped with the saddle bag.

"Just don't think about it; I'll be back before you know it," Arthur said while Merlin stubbornly refused to look at him.

"And when you get captured and killed by the slavers, what then?" Merlin demanded, his voice unsteady. "What if I feel the magic and I'm just not fast enough to save you?"

"You're letting these fears get to your head, Merlin," Arthur said. He placed one hand on his cheek and forced him to look up. "Lancelot here is a good man, I trained him myself. Albeit, he can get quite annoying…I feel perfectly safe putting my life in his hands. I just want to get this job done with and come back to you. You just stay here and be safe for me, will you?"

With tears beginning to well up in his eyes, Merlin nodded. Arthur pulled him into his arms and held on tightly, feeling Merlin hug him back with all his strength. Merlin placed both hands on Arthur's cheeks and brought their lips together in a gentle kiss which held all the passion of their lovemaking.

"I love you, Arthur Pendragon," Merlin whispered against his lips.

"That's all I needed to hear," Arthur sighed softly. He kissed Merlin one last time and reluctantly let go to mount his horse. He could feel Merlin's eyes as they rode off and he felt certain that a part of his physical being was left behind.

"Does he know, sire?" Lancelot asked after a few minutes of silence. "Does he know what you're planning to do?"

"Nobody knows but you, Lancelot, and it must remain that way," Arthur answered gravely. "As soon as it's over, you're never to breathe a word of it again, understand? Nobody else would understand and it would endanger my future role as King of Camelot for my people to lose faith in me."

"I agree, sire," Lancelot nodded. "Just so you know…_I_ think it's very noble to do this for him."

"Thank you, that means a lot. But there is nothing noble in what I'm about to do…"

Merlin swallowed the lump of fear in his throat and reluctantly began walking toward the castle. Try as he might, he couldn't take his mind off the petty terrors that his imagination came up with. He went about his daily chores in a zombie-like state, his mind totally consumed by silence. It wasn't until late that afternoon that one of the guards found him and forced him out of his own head.

"The king requests your presence in the throne room," the guard said after bursting into Gaius's room

"Y-you mean me?" Merlin stuttered, looking around to be sure that there couldn't have been a mistake.

"Merlin, Prince Arthur's manservant, correct?"

Merlin nodded, not thoroughly confused. The only reasons he could think of for Uther to want to see him all involved one of his secrets being exposed. None of them bore scenarios with pleasant endings. He agreed to go with the guard who escorted him all the way up to the throne room. The room was full of people, all going about their normal business, so Merlin felt a little more comforted that there wasn't a formal hearing. Uther looked up after a moment and Merlin dropped to one knee in a bow before returning to his feet.

"Ah, good, Merlin, is it?" he said vaguely, looking down at a scroll in his hand which held his interest.

"Yes, sir," Merlin nodded timidly.

"How has your time at the castle been so far?" Uther asked. Someone handed him a pen and ink so he could begin scribbling notes on the scroll. It helped Merlin that he didn't have to keep eye contact. "Has Arthur been treating you well?"

"Yes, sir, very well," Merlin said quickly. "I'm very happy here."

"That's good," the king answered. He handed the man the pen and the scroll, finally turning his full attention to Merlin. "Since Arthur will be gone for the next few days, I didn't think you would mind a small assignment I have for you. The daughter of one of my noble families is coming to the palace to stay for a while, but we haven't found time to hire a new maid on such short notice. I would like you to act as her servant just as you would for Arthur until we've managed to find somebody suitable for her."

"I um—I'd be honored, sir," Merlin said, trying his best not to look confused. He was sure that there were certain duties that he wouldn't know how to handle, but Gwen could always help him with that.

"Excellent," Uther said, a pleased grin plastered on his face. "She'll be arriving this evening, just in time for dinner. You'll bring her to the dining hall upon her arrival and somebody else will take her things up to the spare room in the east wing. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir, I do."

"Then if I were you, I would get to work brushing up on my etiquette for being in the presence of a lady," he suggested, no hint of it being optional.

"Right away," Merlin nodded, bowing slightly to make his exit. He'd barely gone two feet before he turned back. "Sir, what am I to call her?"

Uther grinned as though the question proved Merlin's dedication to his new task. "Lady Nimueh."

"Lady Nimueh, here?" Gwen said, pausing her chores to look shocked. "There must be quite an event planned. She hasn't been to visit the castle since she was a toddler, I suppose. I was only a child myself at the time, but I do remember a big celebration being held. The whole town was alight night and day for a whole week for her family."

"Why the hubbub?" Merlin asked, tossing Gwen one of Morgana's dresses to be washed. "Noble families come and go all the time, don't they?"

"Not hers," Gwen laughed. "They live way far out on the borders of the kingdom. It would take almost two full weeks for the lot of them to make the journey. I suppose if Nimueh's alone it will take half the time, but still, it's a rare thing. I heard that they've set up such roots that they were able to start a small village of just the noble family."

"So why now?" Merlin asked. He followed Gwen as she left Morgana's room and began walking toward the washroom. "I haven't heard of any holiday happening this week. Or month, for that matter."

"Who knows," she shrugged, laughing at the lost expression Merlin made. "Maybe she grew up a rebel and her parents are hoping that time with Uther will rehabilitate her."

"See, I don't understand that," Merlin said. "For a man who slaughtered thousands for something completely unfair, Uther acts like a perfectly decent person when politics aren't involved. You and I have both heard his conversations with Arthur and Morgana; there's nothing malicious about his daily personality. If I didn't know any better, I might actually trust him with my life."

"I'm sure he would be tickled pink to hear that," Gwen chuckled. They had reached the washroom and she went over to a woman who was passing out wide, shallow buckets. Merlin followed while they went over to a table where many others were working with their laundry. A man walked by and poured steaming water into Gwen's bucket. She nodded her thanks and began washing Morgana's clothes. Merlin went along with her example, helping to make the work go faster.

"So how am I supposed to speak to her?" he mused while scrubbing the fabric with soap. "I can't imagine she would appreciate the way I speak with Arthur…I know him on a more personal level than proper speech."

"M'lady, ma'am, or miss are always safe bets," Gwen answered. "Whatever she says is correct and if she ever asks for your opinion on something, your answer had better ultimately flatter her. I remember sticking to those guidelines for almost a year after I first started working for Morgana. It wasn't until then that we actually became friends and I was allowed to share my own opinion. You won't have to go through that, thankfully. Arthur will be back soon and Nimueh will have her own maid."

Merlin's stomach churned as his earlier worries found him. Gwen noticed his sudden silence and she smiled kindly.

"You miss him already, don't you?"

"If it were up to me, he wouldn't have left," Merlin sighed, taking out his frustration on his work. "I can't stand simply knowing that he's out there when any moment somebody could decide he's worth robbing and end up killing him…"

"That's your own past talking," Gwen said gently, pausing her work. "Merlin, you've seen a very dark side to this world that no person deserves to be trapped in. As good as things have turned out the last two weeks, you're scarred. You haven't had the chance to see the good in everyday people, neighbors and friends. It would be just Arthur's luck to find every person who'd be willing to lend him a hand."

"That's just the thing, though," Merlin said quietly. "He's charging right into the belly of the beast. The one place where you can't find a single decent person. I know he can handle himself just fine but…I'm worried, you know?"

"I guess anyone would be if they felt about Arthur the way you do," she said, a cheeky grin spreading across her face. Merlin blushed and looked down at the soaked material in his hands.

"Is it that obvious?" he asked.

"You wear your heart on your sleeve, Merlin, that isn't a bad thing," she chuckled, leaning over to lightly punch his shoulder. He knew that it should worry him that Gwen was able to read his feelings so easily, but it was honestly a relief to know that she held the truth and still remained on his side.

Merlin and three other servants waited outside the palace as Nimueh rode into the citadel. Even on the horse, it was easy to tell that she was tall with perfect posture, like royalty. Her curly dark hair was pulled back with gleaming jewelry, revealing sharp blue eyes and a hint of a smile between dark red lips. She wasn't alone—a second woman rode just two feet behind. She wasn't anywhere near as glamorous with her tight-fitting riding gear, but a natural beauty shone through that almost bested Nimueh's. Her golden hair was in a loose braid which was slung over her shoulder, barely reaching her waist. Merlin couldn't help but feel a little hopeful that the second girl was Nimueh's maid, sent by an angel to free him from the job.

Merlin and the other servants bowed lowly as the horses came to a stop. Merlin approached Nimueh and offered a hand as she dismounted.

"What a gentleman; I feel welcomed already," she said, grinning brightly despite the tired look in her expression.

"M'lady, the king wishes for you to join him and the lady Morgana for supper," Merlin said, just as he'd rehearsed in his head. "Would you have your maid eat in your quarters?"

"What's he talking about?" the other girl asked with an odd smile while she nimbly leaped off the horse.

"Elena isn't my maid, she's my best friend," Nimueh laughed, looking at Merlin in a way that made him feel like a brainless idiot. "She goes everywhere with me."

"Oh, would you like me to find her a room in the castle?" Merlin asked, mentally trying to think of where she could stay.

"Mighty kind of you," Elena said with an appreciative nod. "Take your time though; I think I'll go explore Camelot for tonight. My first time in the big city and I intend to enjoy it."

Elena and Nimueh hugged briefly before parting. Elena merrily walked off after taking one bag off her horse. Merlin nodded to the other servants and they went to work unloading Nimueh's things while one of them led the horses to the stables.

Merlin walked Nimueh up to the dining hall, explaining to her the different parts of the castle and ways to never get lost. For a moment, he was reminded of that first day with Arthur, exploring the castle with his guiding hand. Rather than make him miss his love, Merlin smiled and felt the warmth of the memory.

"She is very pretty," Gwen said with a slight frown. She and Merlin stood at their usual place while Uther, Morgana, and Nimueh dined together. Merlin didn't need to be told that Gwen was worried at the way her mistress got along so easily with the newcomer.

"Hmm, I guess some would think so," Merlin shrugged passively. "Have you heard anything of why she's here?"

"Not a word," Gwen sighed. "None of the other servants or guards know anything, not even the knights. Uther's gone through a great deal to keep this one secret."

"Do you think we should keep a lookout?" Merlin asked, watching all of Nimueh's seemingly innocent movements.

"You'll be the one at her side for the next few days," she answered. "Just keep an open ear, if it's not too much trouble for you. There's something really unsettling about her that I don't trust."

"I feel it too," Merlin assured her.

After dinner, Merlin escorted Nimueh to her chambers. The room had been a complete mess earlier, but he had used magic to make it fit for a princess. Gaius definitely wouldn't have approved, but Merlin was careful and a day of work was reduced to minutes.

"I'll be back in the morning with your breakfast," Merlin said after showing her how to work the locks.

"Not yet," Nimueh said. "Would you mind unpacking my things into the wardrobe for me?"

Merlin nodded and went over to the trunk that the other servants had set in the corner of the room. He pulled it over to the wardrobe and began pulling out her many gowns to hang up. As he did that, Nimueh went over to the changing screen across the room. A moment later, her dress was tossed over the top. By the time she crawled into bed, Merlin was only halfway done, wondering how a horse could have possibly carried the weight of her luggage so far.

"I think I could get used to this place," Nimueh mused, breaking the silence. "Though, I'd want to be moved to a different room if I'm going to be staying. One with a lot more sun."

"Next to Arthur's or the king's, this room gets the most sunlight," Merlin said.

"Either one would do," she said with a slight laugh. "Suppose it wouldn't take long…"

Merlin had to bite his tongue to keep from demanding what she meant, though the many questions were dying to burst out his mouth. His tight-lippedness didn't escape Nimueh's view and for just a moment, she watched him with wicked amusement.

"Do you know Arthur very well?" she asked.

"Yes; as his manservant, I spend every day with him," Merlin replied matter-of-factly.

"And what do you think of him?" she continued. "Is he very kind? Does he order you around a lot?"

"No, Arthur's just wonderful," Merlin said before biting his tongue. He quickly tried to think of a way to mend his little slip up. "He gave me a set of instructions on my first day and other than that, we're good friends."

"Lucky you, then," she smirked. "I suppose you and I will become _very_ close if you're such good friends with him."

"Oh?" Merlin said, trying not to sound too nervous by the statement. He finished with the last dress from Nimueh's trunk and stood up, eager to finally leave.

"What, haven't you heard?" she asked. The smirk on her face deepened and Merlin shifted uncomfortably. "It's the reason I'm here. Arthur and I are to be married. In one month's time, I'll be the new queen of Camelot."

A/N: Sorry for the long wait, plot bunny and I were in a cold war. But here it is, and I've got to dedicate it to D.E.W.P for using my favorite phrase in your wonderful review(me want moar). Reviews=Love!


	9. Chapter 9

Warm morning light streamed through Arthur's room, causing his eyes to flutter open. He instantly saw Merlin, his porcelain skin glowing like an angel's. All around was the faint scent of the flowers in the garden where they first spoke, almost completely overpowered by Merlin's delicious aroma. Arthur smiled to himself, tightening his arms around the boy and snuggling closer to him. The movement caused Merlin to wake and he looked up at Arthur, a smile gracing his face.

"Good morning," Arthur whispered, placing a kiss on his forehead.

Merlin opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a loud snore. Arthur frowned at him, sitting up a little. Merlin snored again, so loudly that it shook Arthur to reality. He wasn't home in bed with Merlin. He was in a cold, rain-sodden forest, lying on the ground and using a bag for a pillow. Nearby was Lancelot, snoring away so loudly that any dangerous creature could hear and decide to make them into breakfast. Arthur grabbed a nearby twig and threw it at the knight, startling him awake.

"What? Wha's going on?" Lancelot said groggily, one hand clumsily reaching for his sword.

"We need to get moving," Arthur muttered, standing up despite the many aches in his body.

He and Lancelot quickly packed up their makeshift camp and hit the trail. They would hopefully make it to their destination by the afternoon, thus completing their mission by nightfall. Arthur held onto the idea that his dream would come true very soon; it made it easier for him to put up with Lancelot's cheerful humming.

By two that afternoon, they rode into a large town and quickly made their way to the more crowded area. They rented out a few stalls in a stable for their horses so that they could carry on by foot. They both covered themselves with long, hooded clothes to remain inconspicuous as they ventured out into the small town which was notorious for its shady inhabitants.

Everywhere Arthur looked there were thugs and thieves running around, driven by their greed or by desperation. Around every corner were homeless men and women, begging for kindness while being either ignored or spat on. They eventually found a large market place which they had been looking for. The only merchandise being bought or sold were people chained together, underfed, and barely clothed. Their masters whipped them mercilessly and the rare few who fought back were killed right then and there.

"Merlin survived _this_?" Lancelot whispered, horrified.

"Just keep your head down and stick close to me," Arthur ordered lowly. As they trudged forward, he kept a tight grip on the hilt of his sword.

The further they went into the market, the worse things got and Arthur felt sick with disgust. He suddenly wanted to run back home to the safety of Merlin's arms. But his servant was the one thought that kept him going. Merlin was able to survive that place when he was the one bound in chains; Arthur could certainly do it. They eventually reached a large crowd where slaves were being auctioned off from on top of a large platform. The auctioneer was a large man with rich clothes and a smug grin on his face. Arthur looked around and quickly spotted somebody who didn't look too dangerous to speak to.

"Excuse me," Arthur said, walking up to the man who was watching the auction from a comfortable distance.

"What d'you want?" the man barked irritably.

"I wanted to know if you could tell me who I should look for in case of…special transactions," Arthur said, adding double meaning to his word. The man eyes him suspiciously, but nodded anyway.

"Bane's the one you want to talk to," he said, pointing toward the auctioneer. "He runs things around here. Keeps track of all his rich and fanciful friends, if you catch my drift."

"I do, thank you," Arthur said with a nod. He turned to leave, but the man grabbed onto his shoulder and spun him around.

"You look a might familiar, sir," he said with mock kindness. "Have we met somewhere?"

"No, we haven't." Arthur said sternly, knocking his hand away.

"You sure?" the man said threateningly, advancing a few steps. "I say, you could be a right twin for that joke of a prince up in Camelot. What's his name…?"

Arthur looked toward Lancelot worriedly and he nodded, instantly whacking the man on the back of his head with such force that he fell forward into the mud and remained motionless.

"Thank you," Arthur nodded.

"Can't have our cover blown when we've barely gotten started," Lancelot shrugged.

The two of them went around to a few more people, asking questions and getting to know their surroundings. They made sure to remain under any radar by never passing the same group of people twice or asking suspicious questions. After a couple hours, they ventured to a tavern where they knew Bane, the auctioneer, would be after his work. They found him there, resting like royalty in a special area which was filled with food, wine, and women. Arthur cautiously approached him, looking around at his three dangerous body guards.

"You need something?" one of the guards asked, glaring at him.

"An audience with Mr. Bane," Arthur replied curtly, not backing down as the guard towered over him.

"Let him through," Bane said, waving his guard away.

Arthur nodded appreciatively and walked forward to stand in front of the man who rested behind the safety of a loaded table.

"What can I do for you, sir?" he asked, looking Arthur up and down.

"I hear you're the one to go to for deliveries of a certain kind," Arthur said, not taking his hand off his sword, thankfully covered by his cloak.

"Understatement, that one," Bane chuckled, his smugness growing. "There's not a single transaction that goes on in this place without my knowing. I keep a record of it all as a kind of insurance in case any of my customers decide to get smart with me."

"So you would know of a transaction in specific, for one Earnest Nickleby?"

"Ah, what's that brute gone and done now?" Bane said, disappointed recognition on his face.

"Nothing, nothing at all," Arthur said quickly. "I'm simply trying to track down someone who's been misplaced."

"Hmm," Bane said, eyes narrowing. "I guess I'd have to look at my record book to gain his exact address. But I won't be returning home for a few days, so I'm afraid you're out of luck. Of course…a paying man might be worth a special trip."

"I can offer you five gold coins," Arthur said, causing Bane to laugh.

"Lovely, I could buy a scrap of bread!" he said, all his guards chuckling darkly at his supposed joke.

"Twenty then," Arthur said, clenching his jaw to keep from speaking his mind.

"I guess that'll do," Bane shrugged. "I'll have your information to you tomorrow afternoon."

"Thank you for your time," Arthur said, quickly taking his leave.

"What was that all about?" Lancelot asked as they left the tavern.

"Just getting some information," Arthur said.

"But you already know where we're going."

"Yes, but now I know that there is a record book of people who are involved in this monstrosity," Arthur amended. "That should be our first priority. I doubt Earnest Nickleby will be taking any adventures in the near future. He seemed more like the sit-and-wallow-in-my-pain type of fellow."

"And what are we going to do about this record book?" Lancelot asked, struggling to keep up with Arthur's fast pace. "We don't even know what it looks like!"

"We're going to find a good hiding place to sit for many hours until Bane decides to go home," Arthur said, suddenly not liking his brilliant plan.

"You know, this means we'll have to delay our return home another day," Lancelot pointed out, seriously not helping Arthur's feelings. "But…we could save time if you were to continue on your own. I could stay and keep watch on Bane and that way you could finish the mission in private."

"Don't tempt me," Arthur muttered. He stopped walking and looked back toward the tavern, trying to convince himself that Lancelot was talking nonsense.

"If the man is as you remember him from a year ago, then he'll be no trouble," Lancelot reasoned. "Besides, we both know I'm only here to be a comfort to everyone back home that you're safeguarded. We also know that you're three times the fighter I am and can easily take care of yourself."

"Don't," Arthur commanded, shaking his head. "Twice the man, maybe. Three times is just being a suck up."

"Go on," Lancelot laughed. "I'll do fine on this milk run by myself. You do what you need to do to make peace in your mind and we'll meet back at the stables later on. If I finish first, then I know where to find you."

Arthur debated with himself for a moment, trying to remember everything that had been taught to him about making decisions. Somehow, he compared this simple one to the way he would rule Camelot as king. Stay with Lancelot and exercise patience, delaying his act of stupidity. Or he could show trust in his knight and a good eye for strategy by looking at the facts, getting the stupidity over with quickly. Then he decided that this one mission wasn't worth making a learning experience out of it since he planned to forget it as soon as humanly possible. Giving up on his inner conflict, he grabbed Lancelot's robes and yanked him forward, a threatening glare on his face.

"You listen to me or I swear I'll run you through," he growled, low and dangerous. "Merlin is never to hear of this. As far as he's concerned, you never left my side and I was in no way at risk during this whole operation. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Lancelot nodded calmly, watching with amusement as Arthur backed away. Arthur nodded, patting him on the back, and quickly walked away before he could change his mind.

A/N: Reviews. Me Wants Them. Me get, me hand over next chapter.


	10. Chapter 10

"I _knew_ she was no good, the moment I laid eyes on her!" Gwen fumed, furiously stabbing the piece of fabric in her hands with the needle.

She and Merlin were in Morgana's chambers, sitting on her bed with all the sewing equipment at hand. She was supposed to teach him how to properly patch up the holes in Nimueh's dresses, but so far he'd only learned how to roughly sew one side of fabric to another. Morgana sat at her desk nearby, writing in her journal and listening distantly to their conversation.

"The way she said it, all this was Uther's plan," Merlin told her. His shoulders were slumped defeatedly and every other stitch he made in the fabric stabbed his fingers raw. He'd hardly gotten any sleep the previous night and he'd been risking magic to help him with chores all morning. "She and Arthur don't have a choice…"

"She could have refused!" Gwen nearly shouted, forgetting her volume. "She could have said no to marrying a total stranger who she knows nothing about! This must be about the crown, it has to be. It's such an enormous wedding present, she wouldn't care who gets hurt by accepting."

"Or maybe she had no choice in the matter," Morgana piped up. "You forget that being a woman in a seat of power often means being stripped of rights that average citizens get to enjoy."

Gwen pursed her lips and continued to glare at her sewing. Merlin couldn't tell if her sudden anger was because Morgana had spoken against her or because she was sticking up for Nimueh. Either way, he could sense an uncomfortable silence that he didn't want to be a part of.

"So if Uther wanted you to marry Arthur, you would have to?" he asked.

"Yes, I would, but thank god I'm not," she laughed. "Arranged marriages like these one are made for specific reasons. Nimueh's home is filled with young noble men that Arthur could make into knights. That might be one of the reasons for this marriage. Plus, her mother was always a strong, smart woman so if Nimueh's anything like her, she'll handle the crown quite nicely."

"But what about you?" Merlin asked. "Wouldn't you have made just as brilliant a queen as she? And you're also from a noble family."

"That's sweet, Merlin," Morgana said, smiling at him kindly. "But I would never want to be married to Arthur. He's always been like a brother to me and for him to be anything more…just feels wrong, you know? Well, I suppose _you_ don't know, but you understand?"

"Yes, I do," Merlin nodded, smiling at her. She'd just proven that she was aware of his feelings for Arthur, yet she still approved of him. "Morgana, how do you expect Arthur to react to this when he finds out?"

She was silent for a moment, obviously pitying him for the situation. "I suppose he'll fight Uther on it, being as thick headed as he is. Uther will make him spend a week in the stalks and even still, he'll fight it. Then Uther will begin to suspect second motives for his defiance, which will put you in more danger than ever if he finds out. But he will not rest until Arthur and Nimueh are bound. After that, I suppose he'll always be a prying eye in the relationship, making sure he treats her accordingly and always demanding grandchildren…"

She stopped when she noticed how quiet Merlin had become. He realized that Arthur had his future laid out in front of him as it had been from the moment he was born. A small fling with his servant was nothing compared to his great destiny as the future king. Gwen's hand was suddenly in his, soothing compared to the intense pain the needles had inflicted upon him.

"There is _always_ hope, Merlin," she quietly, but surely. Merlin nodded and smiled gratefully at her, then at Morgana who was watching Gwen with a sad sort of confusion.

"Right…just wait for Arthur to come home," Merlin said. "He'll know what to do."

"You have so much faith in him," Morgana said admirably. "I can't imagine what he's done to deserve it."

"He's been good to me," Merlin sighed contently. "Always so gentle and kind. In the short time I've been here, it already seems as though he knows me better than I know myself. It's a good feeling…not having the weight of your own life on your own shoulders, but in somebody you trust."

"It sounds wonderful," Gwen said, then suddenly the room was completely silent. Merlin frowned and looked back and forth between the two girls. There were just certain creatures he wasn't meant to understand.

There was a loud knock at the door and Morgana allowed it to be opened by the guard outside. Nimueh stood with him looking slightly annoyed, though completely innocent.

"Merlin, there you are!" she said, rolling her eyes as she strolled into Morgana's room. "I've been looking for you _forever_! Elena's returned and you'll need to show her a place to stay. Also, I asked you to patch up a dress for me this morning; I was hoping you could hurry it up because I plan to wear it to dinner tonight."

"The red one with gold stitching?" Morgana asked, looking over at her bed where Merlin and Gwen sat among the mass pile of fabrics. "It's very pretty. I suppose I could wear something blue and we won't clash."

"Color coordinating dinner attire?" Nimueh giggled, delicately covering her smile with one hand. "Everything here is so sophisticated, I guess I'll have to get used to it."

"Merlin, perhaps I should help you with Elena's room," Gwen mumbled quietly as Merlin stood up, gathering his things.

"Um, sure, if you'd like," Merlin nodded. Gwen quickly picked up the rest of the sewing material and straightened out Morgana's blankets before leaving the room, Merlin close at her heels.

That night at dinner, Merlin and Gwen didn't say much. They were both watching the conversation too intently. Merlin was focused on Nimueh, watching her every move and purposefully trying to find every little thing wrong with her which she made honestly difficult. Gwen was watching Morgana who was perfectly at ease, laughing away as though she didn't know her best friend was shooting daggers with her eyes. Elena had joined them all at the table, looking much more elegant without her riding clothes. Though nobody noticed, she took inventory of everybody in the room and their strange behavior.

"Ladies, I must say, this has been one of the most enjoyable evenings in this room that I can remember," Uther said, still laughing with an unusually natural smile on his face. "But really, we should discuss serious matters as some point. My son will be returning home in just two days and there are arrangements to be made."

"The wedding, of course!" Nimueh said, grinning.

"Yes, now Morgana, I must ask you not to say anything to him when he comes home," Uther said, calming down slightly. "I'd like to be the one to tell him. As pleasant as this occasion is, he may take it as a bit of a shock."

"Are you certain that he'll be entirely…cooperative with all this?" Morgana asked. It was plain to see that she was trying not to show how against it she was, but Nimueh and Uther both looked at her suspiciously for a moment. Under the pressure, her eyes barely flitted up to Merlin, then quickly found her plate. "I just mean that you know how stubborn he can be…"

"I don't see why he would be," Uther said, all amusement from the previous conversation gone. "He's never expressed much of an interest in love before and Nimueh is a very beautiful girl; he'll have no objections."

"My lord, if you don't mind me saying, I'm nervous about all this," Nimueh admitted and everybody in the room suddenly looked up at her. "I myself haven't been one for romance or anything, but I'm going to be spending the rest of my life with Arthur and I hardly know anything about him. Not that I'm declining your most gracious offer…but I'm only questioning myself in this."

"My dear, do not worry," Uther said kindly, taking her hand. "Your parents and I have spoken often about the two of you and if we didn't think you weren't a decent match, we would have never planned this. You'll have your whole life to become familiar with Arthur and I have no doubt that you will become at least the best of friends in no time. Together, you will be wonderful rulers of Camelot in my place. Who knows, you may even surpass me and become a legendary queen."

Nimueh smiled shyly, a light blush on her cheeks. Merlin felt a hand grasp his and he looked up at Gwen gratefully. She gave him a look as though she was trying to assure his faith in Arthur, but there was sickening feeling in Merlin's gut that said there was no way of resolving the issue without somebody getting hurt.

"Now, let your mind be at ease," Uther said, looking up cheerfully. "The date is set and the wedding planners are coming next week. Everything is coming together swimmingly."

Merlin took a deep breath to calm himself, but there was a sudden pain in his chest as the magic he'd given to Arthur was activated. White hot pain blinded his eyes and the world spun out of control. He felt his body begin to fall and his hand slipped away from Gwen's, then he was lost.

A/N: Review pretty please? They make me giggle like the Pillsbury Dough Boy.


	11. Chapter 11

Arthur pulled out the slip of paper he'd written on in the library and checked the address. He looked up at the large estate in front of him and grinned victoriously. It had been an hour since separating with Lancelot and he'd already found his destination. Tucking the paper away, he marched forward, eager to get the mission over with.

The estate looked abandoned with its overgrown garden and boarded up windows. When he knocked on the door, he was a little worried that nobody would answer. But after a few minutes of waiting, the door creaked open. On the other side stood the remnants of a man, all skin and bone with dark circles under his eyes. His hair and beard were long overgrown and clothes which looked like they may have been nice at one point were in rags.

"What?" he said in a raspy voice. He quickly brought a bottle of liquor to his mouth and took a drink.

"Um…are you Earnest Nickleby?" Arthur asked, frowning as he looked the man up and down.

"Yeah, what of it?" he grumbled.

"I—um, need to ask you a few questions," Arthur said, his voice suddenly falling almost silent. He wasn't feeling too good about the mission anymore. He was honestly expecting it to be easy. The man should have been evil looking, someone he wouldn't feel any regret over killing, but the thing in front of him was just…pathetic.

Earnest rolled his eyes and stumbled away from the door. Arthur took that as an invitation and followed him inside. They both walked down a dark, musty hallway until they reached a room which had obviously been the main living area. There were dirty dishes and rags laying about and a pile of blankets in a corner probably served as a bed. Earnest went over to a desk which was piled high with empty wine bottles and sat down. Arthur cautiously took the seat on the other side.

"So, wha'd you bother me for?" Earnest demanded. He emptied the bottle in his hand and set it down among the others on his desk before reaching into the drawers for a full one.

"I—um, I want to talk to you about somebody who used to live here," Arthur said, trying his best to sound formal. "One of your former s-slaves has gone rogue and he knows quite a bit, so it's my job to track him down."

"That'd make you one of Bane's, eh?"

"Yes," Arthur nodded. "So what can you tell me about Merlin?"

A dark shadow suddenly crossed the man's face and he sobered up quickly to glare at Arthur. He slowly set down the bottle in his hand, knuckles white. He sat up a little straighter in his chair, back popping as though all his muscles were becoming suddenly active. "What about him?"

"Well…how was his behavior under your care?" Arthur asked, remembering the mental list he had been preparing the last few days. "What kind of things did you have him do, how did he react, or did anything stand out about him from the others when you purchased him?"

"Never owned many slaves at a time, so I can't say I'm an expert on their kind," Earnest said, fingers heavily beginning to drum on the desk. "But he was definitely a different one. Everyone else was either as skittish as a mouse from terror or angry and rebellious, but not that one. He was always…strangely cooperative at whatever task I put him to. He always looked so innocent and willing to help out, the conniving rat."

"Conniving how?"

"The bugger told me that he could help…" Earnest became a little quieter as his ghosts returned to him. "My daughter was sick and the boy said he was able to help. Smart of him, building up my hopes just so that when it seemed she was all better, he let her die."

"What did you do then?" Arthur asked, not really knowing if he wanted to hear the truth from Earnest's side.

"Gave him his just punishment," Earnest said, and the slightest hint of a dark smile crossed his expression, quickly replaced by disgust. "Sold him the next day. Forget the fellow's name, but he took him off my hands at a good price…still using that money to fund my current interests."

He picked up his bottle and gave Arthur a half salute before taking a few deep gulps. Watching him now, after hearing him say those things, Arthur felt a little more reassured about what he had come to do. Yet there was still something wrong; he needed more.

"What else could you tell me," Arthur pressed. "Anything you might have learned about him, if you ever talked to him or anything."

"So you know he's a magician, that's what you're fishing for?" Earnest guessed, chuckling to himself. "I almost considered throwing him to the mercy of the king, very day I sold him. But the boy had too many secrets to spill, I couldn't risk that. But maybe I should, now that he's becoming a pain again…not like I've got much to live for anyway and it would be worth it for a last laugh. Perhaps I can buy 'im off you once he's found. I'd die in peace if I got to take him out m'self."

And that was it. Just was Arthur needed to hear. He reached beneath his cloak and pulled out the dagger attached to his belt. It was small with silver and jewel encrusted hilt attached to a deadly blade. Arthur didn't do anything more than set it down on the desk then begin to tap his fingers beside it.

"Ah, not one of Bane's then," Earnest huffed, eyes fixed on the dagger. "Care to tell a man the reason he's gonna die?"

"I'm the one who rescued Merlin from the man you sold him to," Arthur stated simply, gladly putting an end to his sore attempt as a spy. "I've been taking care of him, learning an awful lot about the things going on in my kingdom. But thanks to him, I've got something personal against you."

"Personal, eh?" Earnest said, looking mildly interested in an infuriating way. "This ought to be good."

"I love him," Arthur said, as though his words would be able to drive in the seriousness of what was about to go down. "And that's why you're going to die. As a devoted man, it is my duty to deliver just punishment to the monster in his nightmares, the darkness in his light."

Earnest suddenly threw back his head and laughed, clapping his hands sloppily. Arthur frowned and shifted uncomfortably, disoriented that his confession hadn't made the full impact as he intended.

"_That's_ it then?" he gasped between his laughter, pounding his fists on the desks so that a few empty bottles crashed to the floor. "Of all the things I've done, things to be killed for again and again, you're going to end me for teaching that freak not to cross his master?"

"_Yes_," Arthur growled lowly, arching his shoulders like a giant cat preparing to pounce. "Whatever you may have done, I have complete faith that you will be paying for it in whatever afterlife awaits you. But for now, I am your death!"

Arthur snatched up his dagger, but only just in time for Earnest to pull up a knife that he'd had with him the whole time. It was rusty and not too sharp looking, but would do its job well enough. Arthur couldn't help being just a bit caught by surprise at the other man's sudden act of survival, and ended up receiving a deep gash on his forearm. Chairs were knocked over as he stumbled backward, watching blood stain his sleeve. He could feel that it wasn't fatal, but the pain was a shock nonetheless. Earnest stumbled forward, brandishing his knife, and Arthur deflected it without blinking since he was still entranced by his arm.

"You cut me!" he shouted, glaring up at the man who looked like he was about to fall over in his drunken stupor. "What's with that?"

"Jus' cause I know I'm going down doesn't mean I'm rollin' over for it," Earnest laughed, stretching out his arms as though he was expecting a fight. "Specially not for you, filthy thing. I swear, I'll meet you and Merlin both in Hell. It'll all be worth it to see him tremble again."

"SHUT UP!" Arthur howled, lunging at Earnest. He tackled him to the ground and delivered a powerful blow to his ribcage. "You can never hurt him again, hear me? I won't let you!"

Through painful, gasping breaths, Earnest miraculously managed to let out another laugh. It was then that something powerful, primal, and angry surged through Arthur, and he was momentarily blinded from the world around him. All he knew was that the man before him needed to die…and Merlin was in his head. Of course, his magic was taking its effect, but Arthur couldn't see why since he wasn't the one in danger. He was perfectly capable of finishing the mission himself, and the longer Merlin kept him in this place, the more of a chance Earnest had to get away.

_I don't need your help_, Arthur thought, feeling the magic recede. _I need to do this._ With another surge of anger, Merlin's magic disappeared completely and Arthur was back to the present, on top of a filthy monster who kept a wicked grin on his face even though he was having difficulty breathing.

Forgetting about his dagger completely, Arthur sent his fists flying, the only thought in his mind being that he had to wipe that disgusting smile from his face. Punch after punch, blood covered his fist and began to pool around Earnest's head as his body became still. In his rage, Arthur didn't see it until well after he'd been dead, and even then he wanted to kill him again. But then he looked at himself, covered in blood and a vengeful wreck, and suddenly wondered, _what would Merlin think? _The thought settled in, waking him up from the haze in his mind, and he realized what a mistake it had been to banish Merlin's assistance as he had. Maybe he'd have woken up sooner and realized—

Sitting back on his heels, Arthur struggled to maintain his breathing. His every limb began to shake and an awful feeling settled in his stomach. It grew to the point where he couldn't bear it, and he quickly stumbled over to the corner of the room to vomit everything he'd eaten that day. Then he fell to the floor, scooting away from the mess he'd made. Looking around, he saw the desk which had been moved out of place, not a single bottle standing up as they had been before. Droplets of blood trailed the floor, showing where he had been just a minute ago. And then Earnest…

He could see the look on Merlin's face if he knew what had just happened. Of course he'd be horrified, even though his worst enemy had been the victim. He was just too kind to believe anyone deserved what Arthur had done.

"Oh god…" Arthur gasped, panic rising in his chest. Why couldn't he just control himself? Was he really that obsessed with the hunt that he couldn't even consider the consequences?

He'd killed in battle before, but he'd never put honest effort into murder. With armor on and a sword in hand, it was just about defending his home, one corpse at a time. But he'd premeditated Earnest's death, hunted him down, even taken a minute to speak with him beforehand. Arthur tried to remind himself that Earnest deserved it for what he'd done to Merlin; hell, he was begging for death. But it couldn't make the sudden hollow feeling in his gut go away, and he had the sneaking suspicion that after that day, it never would.

Hour passed by and Arthur couldn't find the strength to move. The blood on his hands and clothes had dried, but the pool leaking from Earnest's body had reached the edge of his shoes by then. The already dismal house grew darker and Arthur's loneliness swelled to an unbearable point. He wished he had Merlin with him, to comfort him, to grant him forgiveness for what he'd done. But there was only the cold, empty house and a lifeless body.

Night had already fallen when the front of the house began echoing with noises and a single voice, calling Arthur's name. For a moment, he was hopeful that Merlin was reading his mind and magically appeared, but the voice revealed itself to belong to Lancelot who had come to find him.

"Sir…you were supposed to come back, I thought something had happened," Lancelot said, relief flooding his face. He held up the lantern in his hand and looked around at the damage in the room. "Mission accomplished, I see. Congratulations, sir. But we should really be going, you'll need your rest for the trip home."

Arthur didn't respond. He numbly stared forward at the scarlet pond in front of him, cursing his very birth. Lancelot quickly realized what had happened to the prince and knelt down in front of him.

"My apologies sir, but rest assured, good can come out of this day," he said gently. "I got the book of records…there are hundreds of names in here, all slaves with their current locations. We can free them, sire. You can make this right."

The words slightly registered in Arthur's foggy mind and he looked up at his friend with the slightest glimmer of hope.

"Then…not all is lost?" he whispered.

"No, your majesty," Lancelot said with a small smile. "Nothing has been lost at all, not really. All that's happened is you've gained a new perspective. If you don't mind me saying, I would treasure that as a gift. Not many people have the opportunity to see just how precious life really is."

Arthur looked down at his hands, dry and crusted from the blood. Small cuts in his knuckles where he'd hit the hardest…

"Come on," Lancelot said, yanking Arthur up by the arm. The two began to shuffle forward out of the house. "Just don't let yourself think about it now. Focus on getting home to Merlin."

"Merlin…" Arthur murmured, letting his mind flood with much kinder memories. "Get home…right. T-thank you, Lancelot."

"It's an honor, sir," Lancelot assured him. "If I didn't do this for the Prince of Camelot, I did it for a friend, and a friend you are. Just so you know, I admire what drove you up to this point. That kind of dedication is a rare thing."

"He is worth it though," Arthur said to himself as they both approached the horses. He ended up needing help getting onto the saddle since his legs were like jelly, but Lancelot was willing to oblige. "Do you think he'll ever forgive me?"

"Of course he will," Lancelot answered, quickly mounting his own horse. "So long as you don't hold back when you tell him. Honesty's the key, or so I hear. Never had the chance to know myself, but Merlin seems to be an honest person."

The thought of recounting what had happened made Arthur's stomach churn painfully. He remembered Lancelot's advice and focused on getting home to Merlin, back to the good memories that he'd been holding onto. He only hoped that he hadn't ruined the chances of ever getting back to that place again.

A/N: Sorry for the long hiatus, but it was really necessary, otherwise I might've ended up killing Arthur and making Merlin suffer. But all is good now, and I'm hoping to get back to a regular updating pace. And as reward for all your patience, I'll make Arthur's welcome home a true…*ahem* occasion.


	12. Chapter 12

Merlin blinked as the blinding light disappeared and his world came to a sickening halt. Gwen was hunched over him, horrified expression on her face. Morgana stood over her while Uther, Elena, and Nimueh strained to see from the table.

"Merlin? Merlin, are you alright?" Gwen asked fearfully, fanning air onto him as she made sure he hadn't hit his head too hard during the fall.

"Y-yes, I'm okay," Merlin assured her, shaking as he attempted to sit up.

"What's happened?" Uther demanded, setting down his wine goblet so hard that the liquid sloshed all over.

Merlin looked up at Gwen with panic, mentally begging her for help. He had no excuse, no clever explanation. It wasn't as though he could just say that he felt Uther's son was in trouble through the magic he planted in his body…the magic Arthur just turned away…

"Medicine!" Gwen said quickly, looking over her shoulder at the king. "Um, Merlin tested a remedy for Gaius today; this must be a side effect. Perhaps I should take him there."

"But if the boy's fine—" Uther began, but he was interrupted by Nimueh.

"Oh, we can get on without him," she said, patting the king's arm comfortingly. She looked down at Merlin, her bright, curious eyes shining with a knowing gleam. "Such a brave thing, putting his health on the line so that one day such a remedy might save a life…perhaps he deserves a night off."

"Very well then," Uther agreed, not bothering to think twice about Nimueh's judgment. "Merlin, you're excused. I appreciate what you've done today, but maybe tell Gaius to work on that remedy, eh?"

"Yes, your majesty, thank you," Merlin said, accepting Gwen's help as he got to his feet. He was shaking all over, but he was able to walk and managed to leave the dining room without making more of a mess than he already had.

Slowly making his way to Gaius's quarters, Merlin tried to remember what happened when the magic was activated. He'd felt Arthur, his fear, his anger, and the fact that he was in potential danger. When why had he refused Merlin's help? Wasn't that the reason he put the magic there in the first place? There was obviously something very wrong and it was the worst feeling to be blinded as he was. The only comfort Merlin had was that Arthur would be home soon and everything would be alright.

"Merlin, are you alright?" Gwaine had come walking down the hallway and spotted Merlin leaning against the wall for support.

"I will be," Merlin said, trying to keep track of how many Gwaines were swirling around in his head. "Just need to get to Gaius…"

"Alright, I'm headed that way," Gwaine said, instantly walking to Merlin's side. He took Merlin's arm and slung it over his shoulder, supporting his weight much better than the wall, and began to walk forward. "So, you gonna tell me what happened?"

"Can't here," Merlin said quietly, forcing his feet to shuffle forward.

"Ah, one of _those_ things?" Gwaine guessed. Merlin nodded in confirmation and they continued walking in silence. The quickly reached Gaius's quarters where the physician ushered them inside and to the table.

"So what is it this time?" Gaius demanded as he set down two cups of water where Merlin and Gwaine sat.

"Magic," Merlin answered, receiving that familiar cautious glance from Gaius. "I gave it to Arthur before he left so I'd know if he was in danger. It just worked, but he refused my help."

"Can he do that?" Gwaine asked. "I mean, you have _magic_, how can he possibly overpower that?"

"It wasn't the magic that he overpowered, it was me," Merlin sighed, remembering how after just a brief glimpse, Arthur's energy suddenly pushed him away like a punch in the gut. "He's got a strong will, I'll give him that. But sometimes I question his judgment. Either he's being really stupid or something horrible is happening so he doesn't want me to get hurt…unless someone can think of any other explanation?"

"I think you're right," Gaius nodded. "Prince Arthur has always been one to trust his gut rather than his head. Unfortunately, that sometimes leads him down the wrong path."

"I really don't understand any of this," Gwaine stated.

"That's alright, you're new," Merlin said kindly. "But you do know Arthur best, what do you think he's doing?"

"I don't know either," Gwaine admitted. "All he told me was that there was something that needed to be done and I had to trust him. I would have pried, but he was using that tone that you just can't question."

"Ah, _that_ one," Merlin sighed. "It's just so frustrating…all we can do is wait and wonder until he gets back and decides to tell us."

"Perhaps not," Gaius said thoughtfully. "Of course, you know I don't encourage using magic right under the king's nose, but as long as you're staying in tonight, it seems like a right time to practice."

"You're serious?" Merlin said hopefully, quickly forgetting the pain in his head.

"Yes, but nothing too big," Gaius answered. "Just a few simple charms and divinations. It's about time you learn these things anyway."

As it turned out, Merlin was a fast learner and quickly found himself bored with Gaius's tame magic. But he held his patience and practiced with the physician until they were both tired and put their lessons to rest. Merlin didn't sleep easy though; he was too frustrated about how little he found out through the lessons. Arthur was healthy, not in any mortal danger, and his heart longed to be home. Merlin already knew that without the stressful hour of learning to read tea leaves.

The next day Merlin was put straight to work by Nimueh, who seemed dead set on seeing her reflection on every surface of her room. But she was never pleased no matter what Merlin did and she eventually grew so angry that she purposefully knocked over her lunch so that he had more to clean. He didn't see what could have put her in such a mood, especially since she had been so willing to vouch for him the previous night, but he knew better than to confront her about it. Thankfully, Elena came to his rescue and asked Nimueh to ride with her and a few of the knights she had befriended. As the two of them left, a sudden idea came to Merlin. He remembered a simple spell he'd seen in Gaius's magic book, and perhaps he'd found the perfect time to practice it.

He quickly ran to Arthur's chambers where the windows had a perfect view of the citadel. Elena, Nimueh, plus three others were mounting horses. Merlin placed his hands over his eyes and murmured a small enchantment, then looked back down to find that he was able to see the aura of every human being. At first it looked as though everyone's heads had been lit up by glowing lights, but the more Merlin looked, the more he began to decipher differences. One of the knights had a sea blue aura which matched his laid back expression and kind demeanor. Another was bright red with a mix of orange. Merlin knew him to have a bit of a temper. Elena was bright gold with swirls of dark pink and Nimueh was…nothing. Merlin couldn't see her aura as though something was blocking him. As soon as he realized this, Nimueh looked up at the window, right into his eyes. There was a sudden scratching sound in Merlin's head like forks scraping across plates and it caused him such pain that the spell was instantly broken. Ignoring a sudden wave of nausea, he looked back up at the window in time to see the group riding off.

"No…it can't be," he whispered to himself. It just couldn't be possible that Nimueh had magic too. What's more, she seemed to be even more powerful than Merlin. Who knows how many spells she could have already worked in her short time at the castle? Perhaps she was using it on Uther and Morgana so that they wouldn't be suspicious of her…or maybe it had something to do with the marriage! A witch queen in a country which had killed thousands of her kind could be very dangerous. Merlin's head was spinning with wild theories and conspiracy plans and all he could think was that he needed to tell Gaius. There was no way he could take Nimueh on alone.

Leaving Arthur's chambers, he quickly ran toward the stairs and nearly crashed into an oncoming guard.

"Sorry," he said quickly, meaning to keep moving, but the guard held onto his arm.

"Merlin, I have your orders," he said.

"Orders?" Merlin said. Nimueh, he thought instantly. She must have told one of the guards before she left. She probably assigned him loads of work as punishment for attempting that spell on her.

"Yes. You're to go down to the stables."

"…Oh," Merlin said, a little surprised that the guard hadn't pulled out a long list of chores. "Alright then, thanks."

Merlin changed direction and headed toward the castle exit instead. As he walked to the stables, he pondered all the scariest scenarios that Nimueh could be cooking up. It was obvious that her goal was to be queen of Camelot, but then what? And what would she do with her brainwashed king? If she didn't get her way in all this, the best outcome would be her setting the kingdom on fire. The worst would be some kind of creative vengeance. She could send all manner of creatures and plagues to attack, causing terrible sorts of devastation. But all these thoughts were suddenly put to rest when he reached the stables.

"Arthur…?" There he was, his prince, standing beside Lancelot with all their belongings beside them. He'd obviously just taken his armor off and it left him looking tired and disheveled, but that didn't mask the brilliant smile that lit his face.

"Merlin!" Arthur held out his arms and Merlin ran into them, nearly knocking them both over with the force of the embrace, but neither cared. They were together again; both sides of a coin, puzzle pieces fit together, two hearts once again beating as one, and rather quickly. For that moment, they stood in necessary silence, allowing their memories of each other to fill in the blanks and make it as though they'd never been apart. Lancelot used this time to take his leave, barely hiding the smirk on his face as he left.

After a blissfully long while, they pulled back enough to look into each other's eyes without really letting go.

"There are no words for how much I missed you," Arthur sighed, reaching up to pet Merlin's hair and stroke his cheek. Merlin knew instantly that there was something different about him. Something completely sober and in pain, but he was holding it in well.

"Every moment of every day," Merlin said and Arthur seemed relieved to know his feelings were returned.

"I don't ever want to leave you again," Arthur whispered, leaning his forehead against Merlin's. "But there are things I need to take care of before they get in the way later on, namely my father."

"Tell me what you need, anything," Merlin said, wishing he'd list a thousand things in detail so they could remain in each other's arms for a few more moments.

"I'll be taking dinner in my room tonight," Arthur said with a smile, the hint of double meaning in his voice. I'll let my father know I'm home and won't be joining him and Morgana at the table so I can spend the rest of my evening with much more…pressing matters."

"Sounds reasonable enough," Merlin chuckled. "I'll have dinner waiting for you with a hot bath and fresh sheets…"

"Mmm, I can't wait."

Arthur leaned forward and captured Merlin's willing lips, enveloping him in a deep, passionate kiss that put any idea of separating out of mind. Bodies pressed together, tongues dancing, moments turned to minutes which flew by, yet they still couldn't get enough of each other. It was the sound of hooves outside that finally wrenched them from each other's embrace.

"Um, meet you there, then?" Arthur said breathlessly, quickly gathering his things.

"Of course," Merlin replied, nervously looking out of the stables to see that they were safe. "And Arthur…please hurry."

They shared one last kiss and reluctantly left each other, both sharing the same goal of being together at last.

A/N: So this is really just a preview to the real reunion in the next chapter, just to warn you. And as long as we're doing spoilers, I might as well tell you that I'm about to be sent back to school after not having been there for eight months. Expect sex. And a lot of it. Which I will be writing in class. All the time. I see a bright future for those boys!


	13. Chapter 13

Merlin paced back and forth, nervously fiddling with a loose string on his sleeve. He'd already set the table with more food than Arthur would ever be able to eat and the bathtub stood at the ready next to the roaring fireplace. He'd gone over every little detail of his surroundings many times, too anxious to leave it alone. His stomach twisted in knots and his legs shook just as they had when he thought he was walking to his death. It had been only twenty minutes since seeing Arthur in the stables, but he could swear it was hours ago just as three days had been a lifetime.

The door suddenly opened and Arthur himself walked in, a weary and relieved smile on his face. "I swear, he looked like he was about ready to give a speech when he saw me. I knew if I wanted to get away at all, I'd have to talk fast."

Merlin was suddenly terrified for a moment, realizing that he'd let Arthur go to the king without telling him about Nimueh first. Knowing Arthur, he would have begun a whole argument with his father and they'd be apart for that much longer. Even though he was in the room with him, Merlin couldn't help feel a terrible ache at the thought of Nimueh and the impending marriage. But he was distracted as Arthur pulled him into his arms and pressed their lips together, resuming what they'd started in the stables. But the pit in Merlin's stomach refused to go away and suddenly his mind was turning on the peaceful moment, bringing up everything that had been wrong over the last few days. None of which would have happened if Arthur hadn't left in the first place. Suddenly angry, Merlin pushed Arthur away with such force that he was slammed back against the door.

"Hey!" Arthur exclaimed, shock on his face as he rubbed a sore spot on his shoulder.

"You promised that everything would be alright!" Merlin shouted and guilt crossed Arthur's face. "Something definitely happened, I felt it, and you turned me away! How could you do that? You have no idea how terrified I was because there was something so awful that you wouldn't even let me help you!"

"I just couldn't, okay?" Arthur said evasively, not making eye contact as he walked away from the door.

"Why?" Merlin demanded, grabbing Arthur's shoulder to force him to look at him. "Before you left you said that everything would be fine after the mission, but I know it's not. I knew it from the moment I saw you today that you were different. Why can't you just tell me?"

"Because there was no goddamn mission!" Arthur cried, shoving Merlin's hands away from him. "I got what I needed to take down the slave market, but that wasn't the reason I left…"

"What?" Merlin said, his glare becoming an expression of confusion.

"The reason I left…the reason you felt the magic…was because I killed Earnest Nickleby."

They were both deadly silent then. Merlin was processing the news which he definitely hadn't been expecting and Arthur was waiting for him to react.

"You shouldn't have done that," Merlin finally said in a voice that barely managed to contain what was boiling beneath the surface.

"After what he did to you?" Arthur said disbelievingly, hiding the fact that the thought of what he had done was currently making him sick. "He deserved it!"

"No!" Merlin shouted, accidentally making the fireplace explode with sparks as he couldn't control a burst of magic

"Careful!" Arthur scolded, wearily looking away from the sparks which were harmlessly burning out on their own. "And why didn't he deserve it? He wasn't even sorry; he laughed at your pain!"

"And he deserved to be punished, but not like this!" Merlin screamed as tears welled up in his eyes. "Now his blood is on _my_ hands and I've never wanted to hurt anybody!"

"But you didn't, I did!" Arthur gasped as he realized where Merlin's fear came from.

"You may have been the weapon, but it's my fault!" Merlin cried, shaking his head. "I never wanted this to happen…I should have stopped you…"

"It was my fault, Merlin, there was nothing you could have done," Arthur tried, but Merlin wouldn't hear of it.

"Stop lying to me," he seethed, pushing Arthur away when he reached out for him. "When I told you what happened, I was putting every ounce of trust I had left in your hands and you betrayed me. You knew I would never want you to hurt him so you lied to me, went behind my back—"

"To protect you!" Arthur said, defending himself. "Everything I've done since the moment I met you was to keep you safe! As long as that monster was alive, you would never feel safe and don't pretend that you haven't felt that way all along."

Merlin glared, unable to deny that what Arthur said was true. His every nightmare and shadow had Earnest's face, but knowing that Arthur was using him as an excuse just made him even more angry and it was burning out of control. And before he could stop himself, he struck Arthur. A fast, stinging slap across the face. Arthur looked up at him with bewilderment as his cheeks began to burn bright red.

"You…you just hit me," he said, dumbfounded.

"You're being an ass," Merlin retorted, but he was ignored as Arthur suddenly stalked forward, something primal and dark in his eyes. "I g-guess you're not used to that…"

Arthur grabbed his shoulders and Merlin instinctively fought back, but he was physically overpowered and gave up. For just a moment, he was a little frightened. He knew it was only because of everything he'd been through, but he couldn't help it. He was so used to cowering away and not standing up for himself that he'd suddenly been forced in a whole new reality where everything was strange and scary. But as he gazed up into Arthur's eyes, he remembered that he had nothing to fear. They were both entering something completely new and he would be damned if he didn't get a say in creating it. So without a second thought, he crashed his lips into Arthur's. The kiss was burning with the passion that surged through them both and it was angry and bruising but powerful.

Arthur's arms snaked around Merlin's waist with a vice grip as the two stumbled back until they bumped into the table. Keeping Merlin pinned there, Arthur held him closer, increasing the already fiery heat between them. Merlin was obviously anxious for him, but still angry about their argument. When he felt Arthur's tongue slip in his mouth, he bit him hard, but that didn't stop anything and he didn't care since Arthur made the most intriguing noises. Merlin gripped the collar of Arthur's shirt and yanked hard, pulling it off with a few cringing tearing sounds. Arthur gasped lightly and clawed at Merlin's back, wrestling his clothes off as well. Hardly letting go of him, Arthur shoved all the plates off the table until the surface was clear and they both fell onto it in an instant. Not breaking their lips apart, they struggled to get their pants off with clumsy desperation. Arthur cast his aside first and proceeded to pull off Merlin's before clutching his legs and spreading them apart so he could settle his hips in between. Then their lips separated with a loud smack, leaving them both flushed and panting.

Merlin watched impatiently while Arthur covered a few fingers with spit before smearing it on his cock. They were both too needy for much preparation, so he positioned himself at Merlin's entrance and pushed inside. Merlin's muscles resisted and he hissed at the painful burn, but he didn't tell Arthur to stop. Arthur went as slow as his resistance would allow, but a small part of him tingled at seeing Merlin bite his lip as he fought back the noises bubbling in his chest. Once sheathed inside, he let his eyes flutter shut as he enjoyed the sensation of being right back where he'd wanted to be for the past three days. But Merlin wouldn't let him stop and dug his nails into Arthur's shoulder blades, forcing him to move. They both moaned together as a rough, punishing rhythm was set. Arthur didn't bother being gentle as Merlin wrapped his legs around his waist, driving him deeper and faster. But it must have become a bit too much as Merlin's nails dug harder into his shoulder's drawing blood. Stopping everything, Arthur grabbed Merlin's wrist.

"Why do you keep hurting me?" he growled, pinning Merlin's hands above his head.

"Because I know you can take it," Merlin purred seductively, thrusting his hips up just to torture Arthur.

Arthur scoffed at his attempt and pulled all the way out before roughly turning Merlin over and thrusting into him, completely redefining "deep." Merlin cried out with broken pleasure, trying desperately to move his hips, but Arthur's body kept him pinned down. When he was good an ready, he pulled nearly all the way out and shoved back in, hitting every delicate nerve along the way. With hungry eyes, he watched Merlin succumb to pleasure, keeping him right where he wanted him. When it looked like he was going to pass out, Arthur reached around with one hand and grasped Merlin's cock, pumping in time with his hips. Merlin's fingers spazzed and clawed at the surface of the table as he let himself be pleasured entirely by Arthur. As he came close to climax, he began to whimper and the sound sent Arthur tumbling helplessly over the edge. He thrust twice more with shaking hips as he came. His fist tightened around Merlin's cock, dragging him with him, covering the table him his cum. They both collapsed in a heap of limbs and sweat, still clinging to each other as their breathing began to slow.

Arthur looked up at Merlin, whose eyes were closed, chest heaving, and scooted a little closer. Merlin turned his head and looked up at him, all traces of anger gone.

"Angry sex…interesting," he hummed while Arthur pushed the sweat soaked hair away from his face.

"I'd rather not get used to it, if that's alright," Arthur chuckled, placing a light kiss on his forehead. "If it stops us from fighting, I'm all for it, but I'd rather things be like the way it is right now…"

"I like that plan," Merlin said with a smile, leaning into Arthur's chest, fitting their bodies together like puzzle pieces once again. "But I guess…if we want to avoid a potential problem…there's something I should tell you—"

"Hold on," Arthur said quickly, sitting up. Merlin propped himself up on his elbows to properly frown at him. "If there's a potential problem involved, can't it wait? I know I'll probably be kicking myself for this once you do tell me, but I think we should just enjoy _this_, you know?"

Arthur bit his lip as Merlin sighed and shook his head.

"Don't spoil a good thing, I understand," he said with a small smile. "I suppose it's something that can wait 'til morning, just remember that this was your choice and I only agreed to it because I don't want to spoil this either."

"My god, you're perfect," Arthur whispered, quickly ducking forward to kiss Merlin and steal his breath away. The next moment, he was hopping off the table with Merlin cradled in his arms.

"What are you doing?" Merlin laughed, wrapping his arms around Arthur's neck for support. Arthur didn't answer, but walked over to where the tub stood by the fireplace and cautiously stepped into the water. He carefully lowered himself down, landing Merlin on his lap.

"Didn't want the water to go cold, did we?" he said with a coy smile, flicking a few droplets at Merlin.

"You forget that I'm a wizard," Merlin said. He snapped his fingers and a bar of soap appeared in his hand. "I can keep the water warm as long as I want."

"Then make this last forever," Arthur murmured, blushing as he looked toward the fireplace.

"Forever," Merlin repeated, wishing that he could forget how short that would be. Eventually Arthur would find out the truth of what happened in his absence. Soon, their small paradise would come to an end. Arthur noticed the change in Merlin's expression and he frowned.

"Whatever it is, forget it for now," Arthur said, cupping Merlin's chin to bring him back to their heaven. "Right here, right now, is all that matters. When tomorrow inevitably comes, we'll face it together, I promise."

"Together," Merlin agreed, sinking into the love of Arthur's embrace.

* * *

A/N: So, it's been forever, hasn't it? Life-interruptions and all that, but as a peace offering, here's a chapter! Thank you to everybody who's still hanging in there with me, I'm still writing, will be adding more chapters soon, THANK GOD FOR VACATIONS!


	14. Chapter 14

Note: This chapter is dedicated to Merthur Dreamer for following the story and providing the most wonderful insight I've seen in a long time. Thank you for clearing the writer's block and helping me get this chapter done!

* * *

Merlin woke up to the sound of the morning bells. The same sound that woke him every morning, but for the second time, he woke in Arthur's bed. He let himself soak up the morning warmth, the sound of Arthur's restful breathing, the fantasy that every morning could be like this one. But he had a job to do.

Walking around the room, he picked up the articles of his clothing which had somehow ended up strewn everywhere. Checking to be sure Arthur was still asleep, he carefully left the royal bedchamber. As quickly as possible, Merlin snuck into the physician's quarters. Gaius had his back turned as Merlin slipped into his own room to change into clothes that didn't smell of sweat and…Arthur. Merlin said good morning to Gaius, picked up the daily remedies to be delivered, headed to the kitchens. Minutes later, he was carrying Arthur's breakfast up to the room as though he hadn't just spent the night there.

Arthur began to stir as Merlin closed the door behind him he saw the prince's arm stretch out beside him, finding only empty sheets, and Merlin smiled to himself. As he walked over, Arthur sat up, hair messy, eyes barely cracked open.

"Merr'n…where'd you go?" Arthur asked, waking himself up a little more.

"Breakfast," Merlin said, sitting down on the bed and setting the tray in front of Arthur. "You'll be needing your strength, especially after you've wasted so much of it on me."

"Well worth it, wouldn't you say?" Arthur laughed, falling back on his pillow with a sleepy smile.

"Not just…that," Merlin said, smirking. He picked up an apple and pushed it to Arthur's hands as he lay down as well. "The trip can't have been easy. You should take more time to rest."

"With you here, I'm strong enough to lift the world," Arthur promised before letting a boyish grin cross his face. "Don't worry about me, Merlin. I'm fine, especially now that I'm home. Besides, I've been on hunting trips that've left me in much worse shape. There was this one time, we were hunting a shadrin—"

There was a sudden knock at the door and Merlin and Arthur both nearly jumped out of their skins with the fright. They looked at each other just for a moment as though to be sure that there were still safe, then Merlin stood up and smoothed himself down before answering the door. A guard stood on the outside, seeming bored with his duty.

"Prince Arthur has been summoned to the throne room," he announced.

"Great, he'll be down as soon as possible," Merlin said, resisting the urge to close the door and bolt it too quickly.

"Immediately, by the king's orders," the guard corrected him, and Merlin's nerves were filled with dread. So the time had come.

"It'll be done," Merlin said, finally closing the door without bothering to dismiss the guard.

"What's wrong?" Arthur asked, noticing the way Merlin had gone pale.

"That thing I tried to tell you last night, that you said we'd save for today…" Merlin said, forcing back the lump in his throat. "Well, it's today now. The issues has become sort of urgent."

Arthur nodded to himself and silently got out of bed, walking over to his wardrobe to pick out the day's clothes. Merlin walked over to help, mostly because it kept his mind off the feeling of impending doom.

"I want you to tell me," Arthur declared as Merlin was helping pull a shirt on.

"Are you sure that's the best idea?" Merlin asked, finding that his fingers shook while he attempted to work buttons. "Your father must already know that you'll detest the idea. Perhaps he's prepared a speech to let it out gently."

"I would rather hear it from someone I would trust to be gentle in such a matter," Arthur said. Merlin looked up and saw that the prince was worried, as he should be. Taking a deep breath, Merlin picked up Arthur's belt and strung it around his waist.

"The day you left, a noble woman arrived," Merlin began, "from one of your father's trusted families. Her name is Nimueh. The king asked me to be her temporary servant until your return."

"He doesn't normally request specific servants like that," Arthur said, frowning in confusion. "He just orders for new ones to be brought in."

"Maybe he thought that the prince's servant was important…for his betrothed." Merlin felt numb when he finally forced it out. He looked up at the blue eyes which caught his gaze. He watched the emotions as they passed: fear, confusion, understanding, anger, deadly calm. Merlin felt so overwhelmed, he let his eyes drop as he finished his work. he clumsily locked the belt in place and let Arthur's jacket fall over the belt, completing the picture of the most perfect prince he could ever imagine. Arthur's hand was suddenly under his chin, lifting his face to meet his as their lips pressed together in a kiss softer and more intimate than anything they'd done the previous night. All the air disappeared from Merlin's lungs until Arthur pulled away, blond lashes fluttering.

"What was that for?" Merlin asked, voice barely more than a whisper.

"Just needed something to hold onto," Arthur replied. "To remember what I'll be fighting for. This mess might not be sorted out quickly, but I swear, it will be done. You're the only person in my life who makes the world have any sort of meaning, and I'm never going to let that go. You're the one I want. Not some doe-eyed princess my father picked out because he's too blind to see what's right for me."

"Arthur, what you're saying could prove more dangerous than simply voicing words," Merlin pointed out. "I don't want you to get hurt because of me. And I don't want you to get into trouble with your father. Just…please, don't do anything stupid?"

"No promises," Arthur joked, ruffling Merlin's hair.

They both left the bedchamber then and walked to the throne room side by side.

The king was there, along with the rest of the royal court and their servants, probably a requested presence specifically for the announcement. As they entered the room, Merlin saw Morgana and Gwen in their usual places, separated from the king only by Nimueh who had oddly taken the place closest to him.

"Arthur!" Uther said, looking up at his son with a too-bright smile. He stood up and walked over to Arthur, clapping him on the back. "The prodigal son returns, and not a moment too soon. Much has occurred in your absence. But first of all, did your trip prove fruitful?"

"Yes, father," Arthur said, wearing a warm expression that only Merlin could see through. "I would like to place Sir Lancelot in the lead of an investigation regarding an underground market of illegal trade. He's perfectly suited for the job and he has my full confidence, and it frees me up to better focus on…other things."

"Excellent decision," Uther agreed, beaming with pride. "And as it seems you now have a break from rescuing Camelot, perhaps you could meet our guest. You remember Nimueh?"

Nimueh walked over, flowing like a dream in a dress that she had obviously been saving for Arthur's return. She stopped in front of Arthur and curtsied, slightly bowing here head, holding out her hand. Merlin supposed that she had practiced that for hours all morning. Arthur bowed and took her hand, quickly pressing his lips to her knuckles before letting her go.

"Hello again, Nymph," Arthur said, his mask expression beginning to twist into a grin as Nimueh flushed with embarrassment.

"What was that?" Uther said confusedly.

"One of Arthur's little jokes that he used to play on me," Nimueh explained. "The one time I got to visit the palace as a child and he had to terrify me with stories of magical creatures, dreadful things. Just to torture me, he said he heard the nymph of the lake talking, saying I was to be her next victim. It all just seems so silly now."

"I find it rather hilarious, still," Arthur chuckled.

"That's enough," Uther said sternly before plastering on a kind smile. "I'm sure the two of you have plenty of catching up to do, and luckily, you'll have all the time in the world. Nimueh's going to be staying with us indefinitely, isn't that wonderful, Arthur?"

"A pleasure, I'm sure," Arthur said with a nod to Nimueh, then he turned his full attention to Uther. "Father, there's no need for courteousness of word play. Just make the announcement."

"Very well," Uther said, hardly phased, but less inviting with his smile. "Ladies and gentlemen, It is my greatest honor to announce that on this day, an engagement takes place. Between my son, prince Arthur, and Lady Nimueh, future queen of Camelot."

The room was filled with applause. Merlin kept his eyes on the floor as to not betray the emotions behind them.

"Now, if we can speak privately," Arthur said, "I'm sure you already know what I have to say and we'd both rather not make a scene of it."

"Very well," Uther said curtly. he looked up at the rest of the court and his expression returned to it's usual grace. "That will be all for this morning, thank you all. You are dismissed."

Everybody began to clear the room, at the same time filling the air with excited chatter. As Morgana left, Merlin couldn't help catch Gwen glaring at Nimueh as she kept pace.

"Merlin, Nimueh, if you don't mind," Arthur said apologetically. "This is one conversation my father and I need to have _alone_."

Nimueh curtsied and Merlin bowed, then they both left the throne room.

"You told him, didn't you?" Nimueh hissed as soon as the doors were closed.

"He had a right to know," Merlin said, momentarily forgetting how dangerous to take any tone with a noble.

"Your dedication to the prince's welfare simply astounds me," she said in a voice so terribly vicious that Merlin felt the need to fall to his knees and brace himself for a beating and it wasn't until she was storming away that he realized how much more powerful she was than him. In every way. Merlin suddenly felt very vulnerable, very alone, and the only person who could make the feeling go away was about to put himself at great risk. Merlin's world was suddenly cracked glass on the verge of shattering and Nimueh was the impact that could send everything spiraling out of control. Hoping to distract himself, Merlin thought up a list of chores to do.

* * *

As soon as the doors were shut, Arthur's control snapped, and he was thankful he'd held it long enough to get Merlin safely out of view.

"Father, I refuse," Arthur stated in a shaking voice, his anger and frustration seeping through every part of him. "I cannot spend the rest of my life bound to her, I won't!"

"You have simply left me no choice," Uther stated smoothly. "Nimueh is the most ideal match. She's smart, beautiful, and her family is known for their admirable ways of controlling their household. And besides that, you two have history to build on, what more could you ask for?"

"Someone who I don't positively despise!" Arthur cried. "We were cruel to each other as children for the basic fact that we are not matched! Father, please, my entire life I have seen you rule without a queen by your side. Why must I be rushed to take one now?"

"Because you have no idea the challenges you will face when you are king," Uther said, his temper beginning to rise. "I'm doing you a favor. She's already well liked by the people and their support for you will only increase by this marriage, and you will gain a partner if no more. Someone to help carry the burden of the crown because it is a heavy one. I'm not asking you to love her, but to gain her friendship, and lean on that for the harsh times ahead."

"How can I ever face those times knowing I'm an incomplete man?" Arthur said, voice breaking. "You always told me that falling in love with mother is the one thing in your life that taught you all you needed to know to raise me, be king, and survive. If I marry Nimueh, I'll never be allowed to love again and I'll be deprived of that. Please…don't do this to me."

Uther looked away from Arthur, masking how his words took to heart. There was a long moment of silence, and consideration, as Arthur waited for his doom to be spoken.

"I'll make you a deal," Uther amended quietly, reluctantly. "In five months, on the last day of summer, you _will_ marry. Either to Nimueh, or to the one of your choosing."

"Anyone?" Arthur asked, hope blooming in his heart.

"Anyone who proves themselves worthy of ruling by your side," Uther said. "I trust your heart, Arthur. You'll fall for the one who will be kind, loyal, and courageous, just as you are. But the people will need proof. Convince us that your choice is the better one, or Nimueh takes a rather fitting place on the throne."

"Yes, father, thank you!" Arthur said, flowing with so much joy that he leaped up and hugged Uther with all his might. For a long moment, they held onto the silent prayers that the arrangement would work, and the future wouldn't bring further darkness between them.

AN: Weee! New story branch! This should be fun, and I'm really excited to see why my mind takes me to deal with the sticky little subplots going on here. Pretty please review? I could use ideas, inspiration, general musings, etc.


	15. Chapter 15

"Merlin, more wine."

"Merlin, salt my food."

"Merlin, I've dropped my napkin."

Arthur exhausted every possible excuse to call Merlin over to him during supper. Each time, Merlin appeared dutifully at his side and they were allowed to share a brief moment of contact, usually just a brush of the fingertips or a playful nudge. Anything to escape the tedious hum of conversation.

It had been three weeks since Arthur made the deal with his father, and both of them were working overtime to get their way. Uther invited every daughter of royalty and nobility to come stay at the castle and take their chance at winning the prince's heart. Arthur dined every night with a different woman on his father's request, and even though he was polite enough, it was evident that they could never strike his fancy. So, to amuse himself, Arthur made a game out of finding different reasons to be with Merlin whenever possible.

In the evenings it got a little bit more difficult since Arthur was expected to keep up decent conversation with his guests. While under Uther's watchful eyes, there wasn't much he could get away with, leaving the poor prince feeling trapped at that stuffy little corner of the table when all he wanted was to be alone with Merlin, talking and laughing together, or sometimes saying nothing at all and just being together.

Admittedly, his conversational partners weren't all too bad. Most of the girls who were sent were spoiled little brats who would love nothing more than to marry Arthur for the crown and his fortune, or just to say that they did it. But a lot of them had been pressured into visiting the castle by their families. They were kind to Arthur, thanked Uther, and smiled on every whim, but it was obvious that they really had no interest in being there. They were the ones that Arthur preferred talking to since it was easier to become friends without the pressure of thinking that they had a chance with him. It worked out well for all since it gave Uther hope for Arthur, the girls had someone friendly to talk to, and Arthur didn't have to suffer for a while.

But nothing beat that feeling of excitement Arthur got when everybody said goodnight and he knew how close he was to being in the arms of his true home once more.

* * *

"Gaius will get suspicious."

Arthur smiled, but didn't pause his mouth's exploration of Merlin's neck.

"I'm serious, he's noticed all the nights that I haven't slept in my own bed," Merlin sighed, unconvincing in his attempt to make Arthur see reason. "He only doesn't say anything because he knows I'm smarter than to go spend my nights at the taverns or someplace atrocious like that."

"No, he doesn't say anything because he already knows everything," Arthur chuckled to himself. "He does tend to notice more than I like, but he seems invested in both our happiness. It's not as if he'll start reporting your suspicious activities to my father."

"So maybe we have nothing to worry about from him, but you know there are other people in this castle we can't trust," Merlin said, forcing himself to be serious.

"You mean Nimueh," Arthur deducted, becoming somber.

"I mean Nimueh," Merlin nodded. "She knows that I'm the reason you're hesitant about the marriage, and I wouldn't put revenge past her. How much of an effort would it be to bat her eyes at a few of the guards and convince them to take notice of where I spend my nights? And this is just one thing she could catch me on, what if she ever found out I'm magic? She can do so much damage to both of us without hardly lifting a finger!"

"Whoa, whoa, one misfortune at a time, please," Arthur said with a nervous smile. "We'll make a habit of being extremely boring and ordinary for anyone who might be watching, if that makes you feel better. Who knows, maybe that will force us to be creative enough to find out how I'm ever going to manage to display the full spectrum of Merlin so that my father won't have a heart attack when he realizes how wonderful and amazing my choice is."

"Be serious," Merlin laughed, blushing heavily.

"I am," Arthur said convincingly. "When I get him to understand, truly see this situation through my eyes, I'll be the one dueling him for your hand. And I would gladly go if it meant that someone else in this world gets to share this…feeling I get, that only a love like this can bring. The feeling of you."

They were both silent, momentarily basking in the warmth of each other and the relief of letting their worries go.

"I guess…we can start that boring and ordinary routine…tomorrow night," Merlin said with a light shrug and an excited smile. Arthur grinned whole-heartedly and leaned forward, capturing Merlin's lips, diving back into heaven once more.

* * *

Gwaine flinched as he watched Arthur attack the scarecrow practice dummy with a mace. In a small number of swings, the prince was standing amidst a disaster zone of straw, bits of fabric, and bird feathers which caught in his hair. Yet Arthur was still fuming with frustration. The other knights had long since abandoned training for the day, since it was obvious that staying on the field only increased the risk of being hit by the hurricane of angst.

"I take it the day didn't go well?" Gwaine guessed while Arthur chucked the mace across the yard, kicking up straw and feathers like a child throwing a tantrum.

"THREE HOURS!" Arthur shouted. "Three hours my father forced a hundred girls to sing for me and not _one_ knew how to carry a note!"

"Bad music…that's a reason to be angry, I guess," Gwaine said, ducking in time to avoid the scarecrow head which flew at him.

"I can't think, Gwaine!" Arthur roared, finally falling to the ground in a useless heap. His friend cautiously walked over and knelt beside him. "As sure as I am of how wonderful Merlin is, I need to find the perfect way to convince my father of that, but I can't think with all this chaos around me. To be perfectly honest…knowing how determined my father can be, I'm worried that he'll manage to dissolve all my time until there's nothing more I can do and I'm forced into being with the Nymph forever." He covered his face with gloved hands and screamed to himself for a while. "_DOOMED_."

"So…maybe disappear for a while," Gwaine suggested, more of a joke as such an idea was entirely out of line, danger-inducing, and reckless—

"As if that hasn't been the only thought on my mind since this all began!" Arthur whined, turning his head toward Gwaine. "Maybe if someone were to help an old buddy out…?"

"And risk a day in the stocks with rotten tomatoes if we're ever found out?" Gwaine laughed. "Thanks for the confidence, old buddy, but last time I reeked for days after. Not something I'm entirely keen on experiencing again."

"I'd pay you."

"Done."

* * *

AN: MINI UPDATE! Just a little something to say thanks for all your patience while I work on a real treat for the next chapter! And while I share with Arthur my frustration on finding the perfect way to go about this knot I've stepped into. So, as always, REVIEWS ARE HAILED WITH LOVE AND TEARS AND HONOR AND YOU PEOPLE ARE JUST SO AWESOME and I'm going to stop screaming now because the sugar rush is making my head spin...


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